The FIFA World Cup™ is a global celebration that will also be a multibillion-dollar test of workforce agility. New UKG research of 8,000 employees across Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, the U.K., and the U.S. estimates the tournament could drive at least US $17 billion^1 2 in lost productivity, including $11.7 billion in the U.S. alone. 

Providing one of the most in-depth views into the World Cup’s global impact on workplaces to date, the survey shows individual contributors and frontline managers plan to skip work, clock in hungover, follow matches while on the clock, and push for levels of flexibility many employers may not be prepared to support.

“What makes the World Cup so relevant is that it reflects a challenge that organizations face every day: work changes by the hour in frontline-heavy organizations, and static planning creates an execution gap,” said Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at UKG. “The World Cup is more than a global cultural event people want to be part of. It is a real workforce planning test that can strain performance, productivity, communication, and even retention if it is not proactively managed.”

Analysis by UKG found significant hidden lost productivity costs caused by absenteeism and presenteeism during the World Cup, including: 

Australia: $653 million	Mexico: $369 million
Canada: $479 million	Netherlands: $388 million
France: $749 million	U.K.: $912 million
Germany: $1.34 billion	U.S.: $11.7 billion

Hangovers and Secret Streams to Disrupt Workplace Action

According to the survey, 37% of employees globally plan to adjust their work schedule because of the tournament, and more than a quarter (27%) are likely to miss work by coming in late, leaving early, or skipping entirely.

There are more consequential risks in play: 26% of employees admit they plan to push the limits of what their manager will tolerate, including secretly streaming matches and highlights (14%). One in 5 employees (22%) expect to clock in while tired or exhausted and 11% admit they’ll even be working while hungover.

“When absenteeism and presenteeism hit at scale, the effect is immediate and expensive. Productivity drops, customer experience suffers, and morale takes a hit as the rest of the team is left to cover the gaps,” said Vittal. “Leaders with frontline teams need to plan today with the ability to manage disruption quickly, adapt coverage in real time, and use flexibility as a strategy to protect both employee trust and the bottom line.”

Retention Risks, and the Middle-Manager Dilemma 

Many employees (39%) say they don’t believe their employer will care about the World Cup, and 1 in 5 (19%) report that they will consider looking for a new job if their work schedule negatively impacts their World Cup experience.

Compared with non-managers, managers were significantly more likely to plan a day off (42% vs. 24%), request schedule changes in advance (50% vs. 34%), and ask for last-minute flexibility (45% vs. 28%). One-third of everyone surveyed (33%) say they will take at least one day off during the World Cup.

Creating a Flexible Game Plan

While the World Cup takes place once every four years, it lasts for 39 days and only some of the matches are known in advance. This makes costly World Cup-related disruptions partly predictable and plannable, and partly unknown until the tournament unfolds.

“The World Cup is a test of how well organizations can respond when conditions change fast,” added Vittal. “Employers do not need to trade productivity for flexibility. They need the discipline to plan ahead, the insight to act as every shift unfolds, and the execution muscle to convert pressure into performance, just like the world’s top soccer stars.”

 

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