More Than a Game: The World Cup’s Retail Rush

The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup is on the horizon. Excitement among football fans globally continues to grow. With Scotland and England having automatically qualified, Wales and Northern Ireland face the playoffs in their bid to qualify.

With the potential for three home nations competing in the World Cup Finals, this summer looks set to be a busy one. The retail and hospitality sectors will no doubt be busy as companies seek to take advantage of a welcome boost to their trade. The 2022 World Cup contributed an overall £368.3 million boost to retail and hospitality sales in the UK. But behind the surge in footfall and full venues lies a different kind of preparation for retail employers: workforce and shift management and ensuring that the commercial opportunity doesn’t turn into an employment law own goal.

Handling employee holiday requests

Although football fans may protest, there is no statutory right to take holiday to watch sporting events. However, UK fulltime employees are entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks paid annual leave per year.

All employees accrue holiday entitlement throughout the year. This applies to workers, agency workers, zero-hours staff and casual workers. Holiday entitlement continues to accrue throughout employment, including during periods of sickness and statutory leave.

Most companies will have a specific procedure for requesting annual leave. Retail employers should check any relevant policies and procedures now, to ensure they are fit for purpose ahead of the summer. But, with an expected increase in footfall, retail employers may wish to consider having an increased number of staff (or temporary staff) to cope with the extra demand.

Also, some employees may expect to celebrate Scotland’s return to the big stage with the award of a highly desired bank holiday. As confirmed in early February, the King has approved a bank holiday in Scotland on Monday 15 June 2026.

While widely welcomed, this would likely only apply to public sector employees under Scottish government contracts. Private sector employees are generally not entitled to the day off unless their contracts specify it. Retail employers should communicate clearly with staff to prevent confusion and avoid employees assuming they have the holiday, which could lead to unplanned absences.

Granting of late licences

With the World Cup taking place across the Atlantic in the USA, the kick off times look set to range from early evening through to the birds chirping at around 05:00. The retail sector looks set to take advantage with the award of late alcohol licence extensions from their local authority’s licencing board.

While this depends on the local authority, it seems many Scottish councils have adopted the approach of awarding a general blanket extension throughout the tournament. Aberdeen City Council has offered businesses in the retail sector a blanket 03:00 closing time extension during the tournament, including restaurants, with ‘extra time’ for Scotland games which go beyond that time.

Retail employers will be grateful for the awarded extension. This allows businesses, in a sector which has struggled in recent years, to soak up the country’s celebratory mood and turn this into increased growth for their business. Especially after the 2022 edition of the tournament landing during the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, retail employers should ensure that they also plan ahead and review the fine print ahead of any blanket licence operating hours extension.

For example, both Edinburgh and Glasgow City Council have recently announced a similar grant of a blanket licence extension. To qualify for the blanket extension, businesses must already have televised sport in their operating plan. Further, part of the conditions for this licence Glasgow has includes the use of toughened glass and the requirement of a written policy about getting employees home safely at the end of their shift.

The retail sector and its customers may look forward to taking in the World Cup in the comfort of their local pub/bar/restaurant. But for retail employers, they must consider the risks, as well as the benefits of opting to take advantage of the extended opening hours.

Employee conduct matters

Another consideration for retail employers is to ensure their employees conduct themselves in the best manner, both during and after working hours. Major tournaments such as the World Cup often bring a predictable spike in workplace conduct issues, especially in customer facing industries such as retail and hospitality.

Retail employers may find themselves facing increased illegitimate sickness absence, short notice holiday requests, failure to attend shifts or lateness following late kick offs. Employee conduct may also impact on their performance at work, with taking unauthorised extended breaks to watch games or providing free drinks/food to friends attending their workplace.

Some employees may also post on social media during working hours or produce content that harms their employer’s reputation or constitutes harassment, particularly on the grounds of nationality, religion or gender.

Retail employers should err on the side of caution when these issues arise. The legal risks of a knee-jerk reaction are at an all-time high, especially with the impending enactment of the Employment Rights Act 2025. Where employee misconduct may seem obvious, retail employers may leave themselves vulnerable if that procedure was rushed or inconsistent. Due to the nature of the retail sector, managers can be tempted to act swiftly. However, procedural failures may mean that normally easily defensible managerial situations carry an increased risk of successful claims and awards against employers in the Employment Tribunal.

As such, retail employers would do well to review existing risk assessments and policies in advance of the World Cup. This may mean holding training with line managers in advance of the tournament on existing policies or how to handle employee performance issues/difficult conversations.

What does this mean for retail employers?

Retail employers are in a slightly unique position. The World Cup presents a much-welcomed opportunity to increase revenue and footfall. However, to fully enjoy the summer, retail employers must plan ahead, especially when it comes to employee related matters. After all, while the goals may be flying in on the pitch, it’s careful workforce management that ensures retail employers don’t concede one off it.

How we can help

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