As many as three in ten workers will stay behind at work at least one night this week to watch or listen to Euro 2012 matches according to new research.
The first full week of the tournament sees key matches kick off at five p.m. British Summer Time every night of the week, starting with England’s match against France tonight (Monday).
It will be better news for rush hour travellers without an interest in football who should find it easier to get a seat on trains. Train services are likely to face a surge of ‘slomuters’ after the match finishes.
“The rush hour chase for a seat is likely to be in the office,” said Michael Arnott, Asda’s TV expert. “We’ve seen brisk trade in affordable TVs this week and anecdotally we’re hearing that many of these TVs are headed for offices.”
Other matches in the five p.m. slot next week are Greece v. Czech Republic, Denmark v. Portugal, Italy v. Croatia and Ukraine v. France.
The must-watches for English football fans are England v. France and Ukraine v. France. Italy v. Croatia is also likely to be a popular fixture.
The poll for Asda also found that up to 75% of British workplaces have TVs on site.
As Euro 2012 takes place, employers need to consider their strategy for keeping control of employee absences during the tournament.