Heineken: Reducing Sick Leave in the FIFA World Cup 2026

Almost half of 2026 FIFA World Cup matches are taking place during standard US working hours.

This can create challenges for HR leaders – with significant potential for widespread workplace distraction. 

According to research conducted by Heineken, more than half of US desk workers admit that they have lied to their employer in order to watch an international football match. 

Additionally, when an international football match that an employee cares about airs during the middle of the workday, three quarters of US desk workers say they find themselves constantly or multiple times throughout ‘secretly’ checking scores or even secretly watching matches at their desk – significantly impacting workforce productivity.

Corporate responses to massive global events such as this have typically focused on risk mitigation – with strict monitoring and rigid enforcement of attendance policies in place to avoid a dip in operational output. 

However, some organisations are going against this approach. Instead of treating major tournaments as disruptions to be managed, some leadership teams are instead viewing them as mechanisms to build internal community, enhance employee retention and re-energise the workforce. This allows employees' passions and interests to be channelled into structured workforce engagement. 

Managing workplace productivity and trust

When employees feel compelled to deceive management, company culture and trust can be damaged. 

A survey from Glassdoor found that 49% of people admit to lying at work. Of that group, 44% say they did so to avoid getting into trouble – suggesting a prevalence of workplaces that lack trust.

Companies that acknowledge that employees will find ways to follow cultural moments such as the World Cup regardless of company mandates can create policies to accommodate staff and maintain operational standards. 

Heineken is one such company. 

In the run-up to the FIFA World Cup 2026, Heineken has introduced its ‘Heineken Fan Volunteers’ campaign, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to bring attention to an employee benefit rarely used by its staff – Volunteer Time Off (VTO)

The campaign has been designed to turn this benefit into a new way for football fans to connect and give back to their communities. 

Employees at Heineken are offered up to three days per year of paid VTO, which sits outside of their regular PTO policy. 

“We're making it easy for fans to utilise Volunteer Time Off, a benefit they likely already have in their favour, so they can potentially watch matches aired during working hours together, give back to their communities and connect with other fans over a Heineken,” says Alison Payne, Chief Marketing Officer of Heineken USA.

The campaign was launched alongside a company film, styled as a corporate training video that introduces Heineken Fan Volunteers as a solution to match viewing.

According to Heineken, this fan volunteers initiative is designed to remove barriers for employees who want to watch World Cup Matches during the work day. 

Instead of staff secretly watching games at their desks, employees can use their VTO for a shared fan experience, volunteering with local charities and communities alongside fellow football fans – coming together to possibly watch a match. 

For the World Cup, employees will be able to find, through Heineken, local volunteer opportunities that align with match days. 

Each of these activations will be hosted in partnership with registered nonprofit organisations, so Heineken can ensure that a meaningful community impact is made while championing the fan experience.

Before the FIFA World Cup 2026, Heineken launched the employee initiative in Miami and New York City in early May, with employees using their VTO benefit while watching the UEFA Semi-Finals. 

This helped create a positive impact in local communities, says Heineken, while also giving staff the opportunity to connect over a shared interest with people they may not have worked with otherwise.

Close to 200 Fan Volunteers joined the initiative across both cities. In New York City, they packed 3,250 meals for Broadway Community’s soup kitchen, and in Miami they cleared 3,100 square feet of green space at Virginia Key Beach. 

A test of workplace flexibility

But a lack of concentration isn’t confined to just the US, where matches fall over working hours. 

In the UK, some matches will be starting as late as two in the morning, with flexible workspace specialists Co-Space warning that employees may be demonstrating increased absenteeism and showing signs of reduced concentration and fatigue, as they balance overnight viewing with work. 

William Stokes, CEO of Co-Space, told Personnel Today that the FIFA World Cup 2026 could act as a "real test of workplace culture, flexibility and trust”.

He suggests that employers should take into account that they may see higher levels of distraction and increases in sick leave across the UK – particularly if England or Scotland make significant progress. 

According to a YouGov poll, more than half of people in the UK planning to follow the FIFA World Cup 2026 say that they intend to watch the matches live, rather than catching up later. More than a quarter of those fans said they would stay up beyond 11pm to watch matches, and 12% said they would watch matches that started at 5am. 

In 2024, requests in the UK for annual leave rose 125% for the day after the Euros final, according to data from BrightHR, while the day after the FIFA World Cup 2022 saw sickness absences spike by 254% – even though England was no longer in the tournament. 

Co-Space is encouraging businesses to consider flexible start times, hybrid and remote working policies over the course of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and reduce early-morning meetings following significant matches, to offer more flexibility while maintaining attendance and professionalism in the workplace. 

Flexible working can also bring about a marked improvement to employee morale. Research from the CIPD finds that 80% of employees say that working flexibly has had a positive impact on their quality of life, while a third say that working flexibly has had a positive impact on their career. 

More than 40% of employers also believe that an increase in hybrid working has led to increased productivity and efficiency in their organisation.

Discussing how policies such as these can improve employee morale in the short term, William said: “Trying to enforce rigid productivity expectations after major overnight fixtures could damage morale more than the football itself.

“At the same time, businesses still need clear boundaries. Showing up hungover, disrupting colleagues or abusing flexible working policies can quickly create resentment, especially among employees who have no interest in football.

“The smartest employers will treat the World Cup as a short-term morale and engagement opportunity while still maintaining fairness and professionalism across the workplace.”