HR expert explains law on booking work off for the Euro 2024 final
It's official, England are in another final after a dramatic last minute win over the Netherlands.
With favourites Spain now the only thing stood in the way of the England men's team finally bringing football home, all eyes will be on Berlin on Sunday night (14 July) for the Euro 2024 final between the two nations.
And with the big match taking place on the night before the start of the working week, HR experts are expecting a flurry of last-minute requests from those looking to take the Monday off.
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It's a situation we're only in thanks to Gareth Southgate's substitutions and the last minute heroics of Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, who pounced on a through-ball from Chelsea's Cole Palmer to calmly slot it home from an almost impossible angle.
The likes of Adele were in the crowd for the big match, with a gig from The Killers in London stopping so fans could enjoy the final moments before immediately breaking in to Mr Brightside.
Now, 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 during the Euros.
Rice says: “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."
What is your notice period?
No, we don't mean sacking your job off for the sake of the big game. We're on about the notice you're contractually required to give your bosses when asking for any annual leave.
"Most employers require advance notice for taking time off," Rice says.
"If you leave it until Friday to request your leave for Monday, there might be less chance your boss will approve it."
Flexible working
According to The Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023 which became law in April this year, every workers have the legal right to request flexible working from the first day of their employment.
Since the days of the Covid pandemic and lockdowns in general, hybrid working - including location and hours - is on the cards for millions of employees every single week regardless of whether you started a job after the new regs or not.
“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," Rice says.
“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. After all, 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.”
Tempted to pull a sickie?
Calling in sick on the Monday when you're either knackered, hungover, or both, is a major red flag to your employer. In the worst case scenarios, you could end up being sacked.
Rice 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."
Plan in advance
"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," Rice says. This can help strengthen your case for getting time off as you can say you've nothing urgent in your diary that needs addressing.
“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.”
Tom Earnshaw