Holmes Mackillop Solicitors has cautioned employers concerned at the prospect of employees ‘pulling a sickie’ during the FIFA World Cup 2026 to avoid knee-jerk reactions to absence.
The World Cup is approaching fast and while there is much excitement about Scotland’s (long awaited) return, it has not gone unnoticed that kick off times will be late due to the event’s location.
John Di Paola, senior associate at Holmes Mackillop, said that, for employers, this creates an obvious concern – increased sick leave.
“While this concern may be legitimate, employers must ensure that they proceed carefully if they are suspicious about a person’s absence,” he said.
“It would be easy to be suspicious or overreact if an employee requests sick leave during the World Cup, particularly if this is just before or after a Scotland match. There is also a risk that some employees are likely to come under increased focus than others, simply because they are known to be football fans.
“An employer can, of course, investigate and if it is concluded that an employee has falsely taken sick leave or ‘pulled a sickie’, then there may be scope for disciplinary action. However, employers must avoid knee-jerk reactions due to a person’s absence.
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Di Paola advises that employers stick to their policies for sick leave and disciplinary proceedings and ensure that these are applied fairly across their business.
“This does not just apply to sick leave – assuming an employee’s lateness or performance issues are due to the World Cup is also risky for employers,” he said.
“If businesses are concerned, then they may want to seek legal advice both before and during the event.”
