British Bosses Prepare to Crack Down on Cup Absenteeism

British bosses are planning to crack down hard on football-crazy employees who take a day off work during the World Cup, a survey showed Thursday.

More than 80 percent of managers are threatening to lay down the law with staff who mysteriously fall ill the morning after England's matches in the World Cup, which kicks off in Germany on June 9.

They also expect their staff to report for duty as per usual on July 10, even if England win the tournament the day before.

Some 83 percent of employers said they would get tough on unauthorised absences or productivity drops during the World Cup, according to a survey of 600 small and medium-sized businesses by the consultants Employment Law Advisory Services (ELAS).

If England captain David Beckham does lift the prestigious trophy, just eight percent of bosses plan to let workers have the following day off.

"Allowing staff to phone in sick just because they have a hangover sets out a precedent which they or their colleagues may seek to exploit long after the final whistle has been blown," said

Peter Mooney, head of consultancy at ELAS.

World Cup absenteeism is expected to be less of a problem this time around, with most matches being played and televised after the normal working day.

During the last World Cup in Japan and South Korea in 2002, English pubs were packed out with shirking office workers swigging booze at breakfast-time due to the time difference.

Mooney said: "There is no shortage of problems which employers could encounter during the tournament, from absenteeism and low productivity to internal frictions caused when well-meaning patriotism goes too far.

"By laying down the rules in advance, employers can play along with the feel-good factor when we win without tying their own hands when it comes to dealing with any issues of misconduct."