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Key Takeaways Encourage managers and employees to have scheduling and availability conversations early and often.
Build flexibility where operationally possible. Flexibility is key to operational agility.
Invest in workforce visibility. Workforce management technology that fosters real-time operations insights can help organizations close execution gaps.
The World Cup is a global sports spectacle that fuels national pride and boosts local economies. It also disrupts workplaces across the world to the tune of $17 billion in lost productivity.
A new UKG global survey reveals over a third of workers (37%) plan to adjust their work schedules due to the 2026 World Cup. Changes range from taking at least one day off (33%) to arriving late, leaving early or skipping work altogether (27%). Even employees working regular hours aren’t immune to distractions: Nearly a quarter (23%) plan to openly watch at work, 14% say they’ll secretly stream matches while on the clock, and at least 1 in 10 (11%) could show up to their job hungover after watching outside of work.
For small and midsize businesses running with lean teams, even modest shifts in scheduling, attendance and productivity can create operational challenges. And with the tournament spanning 5.5 weeks, organizations could experience ongoing disruptions.
Even though we are now on the eve of the tournament, there are still actions organizations can take now before the World Cup impacts your people, your customers and your business.
The workforce reality business leaders can’t ignore
Employees increasingly expect work to fit into their lives, and not the other way around. Organizations that recognize this reality early on will be better positioned to maintain productivity levels, prevent burnout, improve retention and strengthen workforce trust over time.
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