What might be the benefits for my boss in letting staff have time to watch big sporting events?

Many employers fear that major sporting events will lead to more absences from work. Making a bargain on watching the an occasion like the World cup would greatly reduce this risk and give your boss more certainty about getting work done.

Employers could also gain a huge amount of goodwill that by accommodating requests to follow big events. At a difficult time, when pay rises have been low, many employers will want to give the staff something back.

Granting time off to watch sport could also help to improve and maintain morale, which feeds through into productivity and the employer's "bottom line".