An employment lawyer has warned Wales fans they could be sacked if they pull a sickie to watch World Cup matches this winter.
The tournament in Qatar is less than two weeks away, and due to the time difference between the Middle Eastern nation and the UK some matches will start during working hours.
For example, Wales' second group match against Iran is set to kick off at 10am GMT so it may be tempting for people to call in sick to watch it.
However, the law firm Richard Nelson LLP has warned Wales fans that taking this action could lead to them being dismissed.
Andrew Knorpel, the consultant solicitor in the employment law team at Richard Nelson LLP, spoke about encouraging workers to have an "open discussion" with employers about arrangements on the day of matches.
He said: “Where possible many companies may be able to offer an extended lunch break or even remote working for the afternoon and this is something we’d encourage.
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“If this cannot be granted, employees should consider taking annual leave rather than resorting to pulling a sickie. If an employer thinks their employee has called in sick and it is not genuine, they can investigate the case and take disciplinary action over unauthorised absence.”
Richard Nelson LLP also added that if a worker does lie or exaggerate an illness for the purpose of getting time off work when in reality they are fine, then it could amount to gross misconduct.
This could then lead to a specific reason for dismissal from their job.
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