According to international recruitment firm Robert Half, 73% of UK HR directors believe employees are likely to call in sick or make an excuse for skipping work, the day after a major sporting event with 21% considering it ‘very likely’. 

The report shows that with England’s and Wales’ first midweek European Championship fixture on the 16th June, companies are likely to be anticipating a significant increase in the number of employees missing work on Friday, 17 June as a result of ‘sporting sickies’.

“Companies are increasingly recognising the impact an engaged and motivated workforce can have in achieving business goals and positively impacting the bottom line,” Phil Sheridan, UK Senior Managing Director of Robert Half UK, said. “As excitement for the UEFA tournament builds, employers who plan ahead and incorporate the matches into their company events calendar will benefit from an increase in employee morale and job satisfaction. Other activities to consider include flexible work schedules, remote working and late starts to balance work priorities with national pride over the course of the tournament.”

The UK ranks second only to Germany for the number of ‘sporting sickies’ as 79% German HR directors believe employees are likely to call in sick, or make an excuse for skipping work, the day after a major sporting event.  In Belgium the figure falls to 69% and in the European Championship host nation, France, far less HR directors believe employees are likely to skip work, at just 63%.  

While some firms are worried about employees missing work to watch matches, or recover from celebrations, many firms are embracing EURO 2016 as an opportunity to engage and motivate employees. HR leaders recognise that hosting company viewings around big sporting spectacles, such as the European Championships, can deliver real business benefits. The report shows 88% of HR executives believe there are benefits of using sporting events to engage employees.

Companies see the cohesive benefits of coming together to enjoy a sporting spectacle and emotionally invest in the event, according to the report. The top benefits identified by HR directors were increased employee motivation (46%) and increased employee engagement (41%).