Warning has been issued to England fans who plan to ‘pull a sickie’ on Monday as annual leave requests are expected to skyrocket
Whether you thought they’d get there or not, England have reached the finals of the 2024 Euros. After a dramatic Ollie Watkins goal in the final 10 minutes of Wednesday night’s game, the Three Lions have earned their spot in the final this Sunday.
With a stroke of luck, England men’s team could finally bring a trophy home after 57 years. However, the premise of a working day on Monday, July 15, might be filling a lot of England fans with dread today.
To help football fans understand their rights, David Rice, HR expert at People Managing People, has shared the ins and outs of taking time off the day after the Euros final.
David said: “Ultimately, as long as you book in your holiday by adhering to your workplace’s policy on annual leave, then there is nothing your boss can do to stop you from taking a day off to celebrate (or drown your sorrows) after the Euros final.
“However, there are some important considerations you might want to make before doing so.”
1. Beware of ‘pulling a sickie’
David warns: “Yes, you might not be the only person in your workplace who has this idea. But, simply not turning up to work on Monday morning if you’re feeling a little worse for wear is probably not the best idea.
“Obviously if you’re genuinely too ill to work, your boss must take your word on this. However, if you had one too many drinks and there’s evidence of this on social media too, depending on your work’s policy, this could be enough evidence to be considered a ‘non-genuine sick day’.
“This could potentially lead to a dismissal, as it amounts to a breach of the implied term of ‘mutual trust and confidence’ that is the foundation of an employment relationship.”
2. Consider your notice period for holidays
David says most employers require advance notice for taking time off. If you leave it until tomorrow to request your leave for Monday, there might be less chance your boss will approve it.
He said: “Pencil your leave in as soon as you can to avoid disappointment, especially if a number of other team members are also going to be requesting the same day.”
3. Make use of your flexible work policy
More and more businesses are introducing flexible working policies, which means it might even be possible to start a little bit later on Monday morning, if you work a few extra hours this week or next. Or, you might be owed a little bit of time back if you’ve accrued some hours this month already.
David added: “It’s important to make sure your teammates and manager are all in agreement and are aware of this beforehand so no one is wondering where you are on Monday morning.
“Depending on the type of work you do, and how your workplace has celebrated national events like this in the past, your boss might even allow a late start on Monday without you having to book in your holiday.
“Afterall, national celebrations are a great way to boost team morale and to completely ignore a historic moment like England winning the Euros would be quite unusual.”
4. Move your diary around in good time
If you have any regular internal meetings, or face to face catch-ups booked in for Monday, it might be a good idea to suggest that these are moved to later in the day, or to another day in the week.
David says: “It’s likely you won’t be the only one who would rather not come into the office the day after the Euros final, so it’s likely you’ll be speaking on behalf of your teammates and will be suggesting a logical solution.”
