First published on Thursday, June 4, 2026
Last updated on Tuesday, June 9, 2026
The football world championship will be held between 11th June and 20th July, with friendly matches beforehand. You’ll probably be watching the final scores, but will you be keeping an eye on your staff the day after matches? Find out what to look out for as an employer.
Workplace absences
With matches scheduled at stadiums in both Toronto and Vancouver, Canada plays a big role as co-host of the 2026 football world championship. The City of Toronto is set to host six matches plus a Fan Festival running from June 11th – July 19.
Meanwhile, Vancouver play host to a total of 7 matches at BC Place, including two Canada Men’s team matches!
If the employee behaviour during the Superbowl is anything to go by, big sports tournaments tend to bring about a rise in workplace sickness and lateness across the country.
In fact, BrightHR data reflects this year on year. With data between 2024-2025 showing a spike in absences of +32.7% on the Monday after the Superbowl.
With so much buzz across two of Canada’s biggest cities, it would be no surprise to see similar patterns during soccer’s biggest international tournament.
If you’re worried about sickness and lateness in 2026? Set out a clear policy that outlines your expectations around absences.
And if you notice a spike in employee sickness during this season, tread carefully if you think someone’s not genuinely sick. Keep a record of attendance and sickness for match days and the following days, to help you spot patterns and make sure you’re not jumping to conclusions. If your teams travel between multiple locations, you can also use clocking in and out software to check everyone’s made it on site on time. And, if it comes to it, you’ll have evidence from your HR software to support your reasons for disciplining a staff member.
Disciplinary action against a genuine sickness case could have legal consequences and financial penalties if you don’t follow due process. For more support contact an HR expert.
Shifts and schedules
As well as sickness and lateness, you should be planning for busy times and keeping an eye on all matches. With demand growing for accommodation as well as bars and restaurants anticipating a steep rise in visitors throughout the tournament, the hospitality industry is gearing up for an especially busy season.
Having staff on standby is key, and planning your schedules ahead of time will ensure all shifts are covered!
Take a look at the match fixtures below to align your schedules in BrightHR’s shifts and schedules tool.
With BrightHR shifts and schedules, you can create schedules for any industry and working pattern in minutes. If someone calls in sick, you can manage last-minute absences with an open shifts feature that notifies staff the moment a shift becomes available. And for days you know will be busy, like when Canada play Switzerland, you can schedule extra staff members to cover the demand.
City chaos and lateness
As expected, both Toronto and Vancouver will be buzzing with soccer fans and tourists. With an influx of visitors, both cities have been preparing accordingly. However, it's important to remember that match days are likely to bring disruption to traffic and public transport, which could affect employees' journeys to and from work.
Where possible, consider offering additional support and flexibility, such as remote working options or adjusted start and finish times. A little flexibility during the tournament can help employees manage travel disruptions while still enjoying the excitement of this unique event.
Need some advice on the best way to handle the staff lateness while the tournament in underway? BrightHR’s employment relations advice line is open 24/7 for Canadian businesses. Ready to tackle your HR woes.
Drinking at work
As the co-host of 13 matches, some of your colleagues may even be lucky enough to have tickets! If this is the case or they simply choose to watch at home, it’s important to consider that they may be attending games that don’t kick off until the evening and finishing late. During these games there might be drinking involved. And while you don’t manage staff when outside of work, they do run the risk of turning up to work a little hungover or even still drunk the next day.
The best way to manage this is to set expectations. Including a zero-tolerance policy on alcohol in the workplace. Red flags for alcohol misuse can include absenteeism, dips in productivity and low mood (over and above the usual emotional rollercoaster around sports).
If you suspect an employee is under the influence, it’s your duty as an employer to ensure they’re not endangering safety, health and welfare at work. But remember, employees who may have challenges with alcohol have the right to confidentiality and support, as with any other medical or psychological condition.
Disciplinary action should be a last resort, and dismissal may be found to be unfair if you haven’t attempted to accommodate them. Get a policy in place to prevent problems, identify issues early, and provide confidential support.
How BrightHR can help
People management involves a lot more than signing a few vacation forms and keeping a calendar on the break room wall.
With BrightHR you can get on top of all of this and more in one simple system. From employee scheduling to vacation planning and even HR advice, access everything in one place with an all-in-one HR software.
As the tournament kicks off and Canada lights up with bustling crowds, be sure to prepare your business, no matter what industry you work in or how you may be impacted. And if you’d like more support, speak to one of our specialists today!
