No plans for Bank Holiday if Lionesses win the World Cup, Government says

The UK will not get a bank holiday if the Lionesses win the Women’s World Cup, officials have suggested.

Rishi Sunak has been under pressure to give Brits an extra holiday if the Lionesses pull off two more victories to claim the trophy, but the Government confirmed that there were no plans to grant an additional day off.

“The current pattern of public and bank holidays is well established and there are no plans to change this,” a government spokesperson said.

The announcement came after England manager Sarina Wiegman gave her backing to an additional bank holiday to celebrate a win. “Yes, I can see all the English here want it! I’m focusing on football and the game tomorrow, let’s do everything to win the game tomorrow,” she said at a press conference on Tuesday night.

It is understood that Government officials fear extra bank holidays could create additional strain on the economy, despite proving beneficial to some communities and sectors.

There was an extra bank holiday in May this year to mark the King’s Coronation, on top of the two extra last year to mark the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and Funeral. Extra bank holidays have been granted in the past to mark royal weddings and special events such as the Millennium.

In Australia, prime minister Anthony Albanese has already backed calls for a bank holiday if the Matildas win the trophy on home turf. “This is something much more than just a sporting event. This is an inspiration to young girls in particular, but also young boys,” he said.

With less than 10 per cent of the crowd likely to be English, the Lionesses will face a hostile atmosphere when they play Australia on Wednesday in the Women’s World Cup semi-finals.

In the UK, millions are expected to tune in and cheer them on – but the match comes at an awkward time, with kick-off coming at 11am in the middle of the working week.

Some suggested football fans could call in sick if employers do not allow them watch the game at work.

Employment lawyer Gillian Howard, author of Secrets & Lies Tales of an Employment Lawyer, advises that firms offer flexibility as well as be clear on what they view as acceptable use of the web.

“Employers can’t say after the event that we didn’t believe you were ill without any evidence of deceit. You may get people boasting about being off work and watching the game on Facebook, and that could land them in trouble.

“But most employers are not deceitful and if employers are flexible and understanding of human nature, then 99 per cent of people won’t take advantage.

“Employers have been flexible for a lot of major sporting events such as the men’s World Cup and Wimbledon and put big screens up where employees can watch them.”

England’s win in the quarter-final match against Colombia on Saturday was watched by the most viewers of the tournament so far, with a peak of 7.2 million viewers tuning in.

Caroline Neadly, an employment lawyer at Rollits, advised firms to remind employees of any internal policies relating to unauthorised absence and appropriate use of sick leave in such scenarios.

However, she said that the match was a chance to boost employees’ morale.

She said: “To avoid this scenario and a drop in productivity amongst employees, permitting some time off and showing the Lionesses match could provide employers with a useful means of boosting morale and engagement amongst its staff. It could create opportunities to allow staff to bond which in turn could promote better teamwork.

“For example, employers could hold viewings of key matches for all staff or hold a sweepstake for those who want to engage in some friendly competition. If a staff-wide viewing of a match is not feasible, an alternative may be to stream some of the key matches on mute in certain areas of the office e.g. in the staffroom or reception.

“In a survey conducted by Acas in September 2022, when employees were asked what the main things were that kept them in their job, ‘relationship with colleagues’ and ‘feeling valued’ were in the top five most common responses. Employees may therefore appreciate these token gestures and as a result, may be more likely to be engaged in their current role.”

If England make it through to Sunday’s final, screenings are likely to draw large crowds – with a clamour for public events.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said. “Should they reach the final, City Hall will work with partners to look at the best way to enable Londoners to come together to support the team on what is sure to be a momentous occasion.”