The morning after: England V Mexico match implications for workplaces and schools

In addition to reports that pubs could remain open until 5am for England’s World Cup match against Mexico, there have also been calls for a more flexible start to the school and working day on Monday. National Education Union General Secretary Daniel Kebede has urged ministers to allow schools to operate a flexible start, following comments from England manager Thomas Tuchel, who encouraged parents to “write an excuse for school and let children watch” the match. 

However, the Government has pushed back on those suggestions. Skills Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith said young people risk missing out on important learning if parents write excuses for school absence, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also rejected Tuchel’s plea to parents to let children miss school for the game.

While major sporting events can boost morale and bring communities together, they can also create practical challenges for employers, schools, and academy trusts managing attendance, staffing levels, wellbeing, and operational 
resilience. 
 

Employers encouraged to balance flexibility with business needs

Peter Woodhouse, Partner in Employment at Stone King, said: 

"With the England match kicking off at 1am Monday our time and with pubs being allowed to open until 5am, we can expect that many workers are going to have very late nights.

This has the potential to impact employers’ service delivery and safety standards. Where the business needs full workplace presence, for example for client service or continuity of production, then they remain entitled to expect it. If any flexibility can be given, that will no doubt be appreciated. Such arrangements should be agreed in advance and applied consistently. Staff should also be reminded that they need to look after their wellbeing, plan responsibly, and follow normal absence reporting procedures.”

What does this mean for schools and academy trusts?

Jamie Otter, Partner in Education at Stone King, said:

“A 5am pub licence might not sound like an education issue. But perhaps it is.

The Government’s decision to allow pubs to remain open until 5am for England’s World Cup match has understandably attracted plenty of attention. For academy trusts and schools, however, the more interesting question is what happens the following morning.”

Jamie highlights a range of operational challenges that major national events can create for schools and trusts, including:

• Increased staff absence.
• Last-minute leave requests.
• Pupil lateness and attendance issues.
• Staff wellbeing concerns.
• Pressure on leaders to apply discretion consistently and fairly.

These challenges are not unique to football. Similar issues can arise following severe weather, transport disruption, national celebrations, and other significant events.

Building operational resilience

According to Jamie, the most resilient organisations are often those that focus less on creating policies for every eventuality and more on establishing:

• Clear expectations.
• Trusted leadership.
• Consistent decision-making.
• Strong internal communication.
• A culture that balances flexibility with accountability.

Jamie concludes by saying: “As academy trusts continue to grow in scale and complexity, operational resilience remains a key priority. A 5am licence extension may look like a hospitality story but, for school leaders, it’s also a reminder that culture, communication and good governance matter most when the unexpected happens.”

For advice on employment, education and governance issues, contact Stone King’s specialist teams.