Acas urges employers to allow flexible working during World Cup matches

Acas has urged employers to use common sense and let staff work flexibly where they can, as England’s 1am World Cup kick-off exposes how unevenly that accommodation is shared across the labour market.

The advisory body says flexible working is not just working from home. It is a broad term covering changes to when, where or how someone works, and the revised Code of Practice on requests for flexible working took effect on 6 April 2024 alongside the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023. Since then, eligible employees in Great Britain have had the right to request flexible working from their first day in a job, while employers must consider requests reasonably, consult where needed and refuse only for a genuine business reason.

GOV.UK says a request can take up to two months to consider, or longer if both sides agree. If an employer cannot accept it straight away, the guidance says the business should discuss possible ways to overcome the problem or consider alternatives before rejecting the request. Acas says some form of flexibility can be built into almost all jobs, regardless of organisation size or sector.

The World Cup has turned that legal framework into a practical test. Acas has told employers to plan ahead for the tournament and says one possible option is a more flexible working day. The Home Office has already consulted on relaxing licensing hours in England and Wales for England’s matches, and the Licensing Act 2003 (FIFA World Cup licensing hours) Order 2026 extends hours for certain late-night matches where England or Scotland are playing in the round of 32, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.

That institutional adjustment highlights a larger workplace divide. Office-based workers are more likely to trade hours, work from home or start later the next day; workers on fixed shifts, short notice rotas or tighter attendance rules have far less room to bargain. Acas’ guidance points to flexibility as a normal part of modern employment, but the reality is shaped by job security, sector and how much leverage a worker has when asking to move a shift.

BBC workplace guidance has long described flexible working as common sense, matching what the job needs with what the worker needs. The law now gives employees a formal route to ask, but the outcome still depends on whether the employer is willing and able to adapt. For many workers, that remains the line between a reasonable request and a closed door.