Millions of UK workers face being 'sacked' for pulling a sickie this week

England's final Euro 2024 group game could spark a swathe of sickies, according to experts. England can win Group C - and secure a last-16 tie against a third-placed finisher - if they beat Slovenia in Cologne on Tuesday at 8pm.

Farzana Parkar, founder of Face2FaceHR, told the Guardian: “There’s a very high chance of people calling in sick, especially if the game goes in our favour and we end up scoring. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a high likelihood of ‘sickness’.

“Generally, most people are sensible, I would say, but obviously you can’t control everyone, so especially if it’s the hottest day of the year, then it wouldn’t surprise me if some people decide to take a day off.”

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Melanie Steel, founder of People Change Expertise, said: “I think it will result in more people working from home." Steel said Wednesday “is usually a really busy day” in the office for hybrid workers, but that was unlikely this week.

Alan Price, the chief executive of BrightHR, told the Sunday Telegraph: “If previous heatwaves in the UK are anything to go by, businesses should be preparing themselves for a whirlwind of HR chaos, from employees calling in sick to enjoy the sun to a flood of last-minute holiday requests.”

Jayne Harrison, head of employment law at Richard Nelson LLP , said: “If an employer thinks their employee has called in sick and it is not genuine - such as to recover from a hangover - then they can investigate the case and may take disciplinary action over unauthorised absence."

She added: “Over the last few years companies across the country have embraced flexible working and we’d encourage them to do so during the Euros. Where possible many companies may be able to offer an early finish or even remote working for the afternoon and this is something we’d advocate.”