The 2026 FIFA World Cup may be doing more than entertaining soccer fans — it could also be giving remote work a summer lift.
Nicholas Bloom, a Stanford professor who studies hybrid work, says a combination of late-night matches, rising commuting costs, and a summer heat wave could make 2026 "the summer of working from home."
"My bet: July 6th will smash UK records for working from home," Bloom wrote in a recent LinkedIn post, referring to a World Cup knockout game that finished around 4 a.m. UK time on Monday. "After an amazing match ending at 4am, firms may have little choice."
Bloom also pointed to rising oil prices, which he said have made commuting more expensive and already prompted employers to relax office attendance requirements for employees facing higher travel costs.
The tournament itself is also disrupting the traditional workday. Matches have stretched late into the night for some viewers, while others have kicked off during business hours, making it harder for fans to stick to a conventional office schedule.
"I noticed a huge drop in email traffic that Monday from UK co-authors as folks caught up on missed sleep the night before," Bloom told Business Insider.
Bloom also cited the ongoing heat wave, saying it has made commuting particularly unpleasant, especially for workers relying on trains, buses, and subways without air conditioning.
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Temporary flexibility for office workers
Some Wall Street banks are already making temporary accommodations during the World Cup.
Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase have told employees they can request permission to work from home on match days because of expected transport disruption and congestion in host cities, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Citi has also advised employees in affected locations that those in hybrid roles should work remotely if their commute is expected to be disrupted and encouraged all employees to discuss their individual circumstances with their managers.
Goldman Sachs didn't respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. JPMorgan Chase declined to comment.
Bloom told Business Insider that employers have made similar accommodations before. During the 2012 London Olympics, many companies encouraged employees to work from home for several weeks to avoid transport disruption while roads and transit systems were under pressure from the Games.
"That flexibility is incredibly useful and is one of the benefits of hybrid in that firms can easily call WFH days at short notice," Bloom said.
This summer's temporary flexibility also comes after many large companies like JPMorgan Chase, Starbucks, and Meta have adopted stricter return-to-office mandates since the end of the COVID pandemic.
Still, Bloom pointed to Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing the share of full-time workers who did at least some of their job from home on an average workday rose from 33.4% in 2024 to 34.9% in 2025.
"I think more and more firms are seeing the benefits of this flexibility for them and for employees," he said.
Source: Business Insider
