The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to be the largest sporting event in history, attracting millions of fans across 16 host cities in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
With the World Cup running 39 days, starting June 11, HR professionals are encouraged to prepare for traffic jams and mass transit delays during workers’ commutes, absenteeism and lower productivity, and compliance issues with laws surrounding wages, discrimination, and gambling.
Commuting Disruptions
Among the locations hosting the FIFA World Cup (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) are: Atlanta; Boston; Dallas; Guadalajara, Mexico; Houston; Kansas City, Mo.; Los Angeles; Mexico City; Miami; Monterrey, Mexico; New York/New Jersey; Philadelphia; San Francisco/Bay Area; Seattle; Toronto; and Vancouver, British Columbia. All are major metropolitan areas that have busy international airports, heavily used mass transit, and traffic congestion.
When the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994, more than 3.5 million fans traveled to the country to watch matches across nine U.S. cities.
This year’s World Cup is expected to draw approximately 6 billion viewers around the globe, according to FIFA, and more than 5 million in-person attendees.
Naturally, this means travel disruption for airlines, trains, mass transit, and road vehicles.
Should employers consider remote work for employees in those cities? What about workers for whom remote work may not be an option?
“Remote work is the best option for those who can do it,” said Phyllis Hartman, SHRM-SCP, of PGHR Consulting in the Pittsburgh area. “It is a week of disruption. If possible, maybe jobs that can’t be done remotely can use flex hours to work around the worst traffic.”
Such flexibility can boost morale and may even boost productivity by eliminating lengthy commutes and allowing employees to focus more of their time on work, said Marissa Mastroianni, an attorney with Cole Schotz in the New York City area.
“If certain employees misuse this flexibility or fail to meet performance expectations, employers should address those issues individually rather than limiting the option for everyone,” she said.
Because some roles require onsite presence, employers might explore ways to ease the burden of commuting disruptions. These may include adjusting work schedules to start earlier or later to avoid peak congestion, offering compressed workweeks during the event period, or offering ways to minimize the need for workers to be out and about during the workday.
Examples may include: offering complimentary onsite meals; providing onsite errand assistance, such as package drop‑off or pick‑up services; arranging transit shuttles for employees who must travel between facilities; extending parking hours or reducing parking costs; or creating comfortable spaces where employees can take breaks or enjoy stress-reducing activities like yoga.
Mastroianni noted that it will likely cause resentment among workers if employers have one set of policies for employees located where World Cup events are being held and another set for those working elsewhere.
“Having different policies for employees in the same organization based solely on location can create tension,” she said. “However, some accommodations — particularly those related to commuting challenges during the World Cup — may not be practical companywide. Employees in offices unaffected by World Cup‑related traffic will not experience the same disruptions, so offering additional [schedule] flexibility in only the impacted locations may be appropriate. While employees in unaffected locations might question why they are not receiving the same benefits, employers can legitimately explain that the difference in treatment is based on operational needs and location‑specific circumstances, not favoritism.”
Absenteeism and Presenteeism
Major sporting events can pose a dilemma for employers: Give workers time to watch the games and plan for a drop in productivity or continue business as usual and risk fans tuning out at work?
Are blanket policies forbidding watching the World Cup during working hours advisable, especially for safety-sensitive positions?
No, said Bill George, former chairman and CEO of Medtronic and an Executive Education fellow at Harvard Business School.
“You can’t stop people” from watching, George said. “They’ll sit at their desk and watch it on their screens. I recall teaching in Switzerland during the 2002 World Cup. You couldn’t hold a class because all the students wanted to watch the teams play. So, we told them to take the day off.”
During the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup games, nearly half of Americans were expected to miss work to watch the games, according to a survey by UKG, an HR software and technology provider.
One in 10 workers was expected to come in late or leave early without letting their managers know ahead of time, the survey found. More than one in 10 were expected to call in sick even if they weren’t, or to ghost their employers entirely — telling no one they would be absent. Even among those workers who did show up, the survey found more than one in six were expected to secretly watch the games during work hours.
Team Building Boosts Morale
Bracket challenges, watch parties, social hours, and team-jersey days may not only boost morale, but also encourage workers to remain on the jobsite.
George attended the 1994 World Cup in Pasadena and the 1998 Cup in Paris, as well as last year’s European Cup in Germany. Some employers in Europe, he said, set up outdoor screens so workers can watch the games, with food and beverage kiosks nearby.
“They have big screens all over and people go outside and gather to watch the games,” he said. “In Germany ... it was so exciting. Thousands of people. I think Boston ought to set up big screens downtown where people gather and watch. Big employers in Europe sure do.”
Employers might want to consider streaming the games in break rooms or conference rooms and providing food and drinks — perhaps some international cuisines to reflect the global nature of the World Cup — to create a sense of community, Mastroianni said. She also recommended that team‑building events be offered across all company locations — not just in game cities — so those not in host cities feel included.
“These types of team‑building events may also help reduce the temptation for employees to call out or leave early to watch games at home,” she said. “However, employers should set clear expectations in advance, reminding staff that normal performance standards remain.”
When crafting team-building events, employers should also consider the workplace culture, Hartman said.
“You can’t assume that all employees will be interested in the matches,” she pointed out.
Labor Considerations
Because the World Cup is a chance for companies to deploy workers to host cities to test new markets or to work at the games, labor considerations come into play. These workers could be construction crews for stadium refurbishments, security details, or vendors.
The Houston host committee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is requiring vendor companies to provide a $15 hourly minimum wage and will create a support hub for employees to file complaints and find support services.
FIFA is also requiring host committees in each city to release a plan for human rights protections ahead of the World Cup. Much of the human rights plans will focus on labor rights, inclusion and diversity, and preventing human trafficking.
Other Considerations
Other legal considerations may arise during the World Cup.
Mastroianni advised against letting workers gamble on the games at work.
“Avoiding betting pools helps employers steer clear of legal issues and ensures sensitivity toward employees who may be struggling with or recovering from gambling addiction,” she said.
Mastroianni added that wage‑and‑hour rules may require that nonexempt employees be paid for any time spent watching games while on duty.
Remote or hybrid arrangements can raise other compliance issues, she said, including expense reimbursement obligations in certain states and maintaining accurate time tracking for nonexempt remote staff.
Employers must also monitor worker conduct to prevent inappropriate comments tied to national origin or team rivalries.
“If events include alcohol, employers must follow company alcohol policies and comply with safety rules,” she said. “Any team-building activities should be framed within a clear code of conduct, reminding employees that respectful behavior and performance expectations continue to apply even during celebratory events.”
Dana Wilkie is a freelance writer living in Ormond Beach, Fla.
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