Calls grow for extra bank holiday if England win

Prime minister Boris Johnson is coming under pressure to give workers a one-off bank holiday if England win their final Euro 2020 championship on Sunday.

A petition on the Parliament website passed 320,000 signatures on Friday. It says an extra day off would help families to watch the match together.

Mr Johnson said granting a bank holiday now would be "tempting fate".

The Trades Union Congress also urged firms to be flexible, if possible, and allow workers to start later on Monday.

TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said: "Bosses should talk to their staff about flexible working arrangements ahead of Monday morning - perhaps allowing them to start later and claim back their time afterwards."

Some stores are changing their hours to accommodate the big event.

The Co-op is closing its stores at 7.45pm on Sunday, rather than its normal closing time of between 10-11pm, in order to give staff the chance to watch the match.

Tesco will also close its Express stores in England at 7:45pm on Sunday evening.

Supermarket chain Lidl will alter its opening hours on Monday if England wins to allow staff an additional hour to "kick back and relax in the morning".

Shoppers and staff alike were likely to appreciate the extra time first thing, the supermarket said.

The petition calls for a bank holiday this coming Monday, but arranging a bank holiday at such short notice would not be possible. The government also said it did not want to pre-empt the outcome of Sunday's match.

"Clearly we want England to go all the way and win the final, and then we will set out our plans in due course," it added.

Parliament considers all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures for a debate.

How are bank holidays created?

There are eight bank holidays a year in England and Wales, nine in Scotland, and ten in Northern Ireland.

Bank holidays are created under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, or are created by royal proclamation - that is, by the Queen, who acts on government advice.

The department responsible for bank holidays is the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Bank holidays are not actually statutory holidays, although most workers do get the day off.

Nine things you might not know about bank holidays

The petition, which was started by marketing manager Lee Jones, says: "English people would naturally want to continue to enjoy the win, giving the retail and leisure industry a much-needed opportunity to make up lost revenues."

• Will England's success boost the UK economy?

• 'Euro 2020 is a lifeline for my pub'

• How can I watch the Euros final with my friends?

A win for England over Italy on Sunday night would be the first major triumph for the country since 1966 saw it win the World Cup.

The match is set to end at 10pm, but if it goes to extra time it could finish closer to 11pm, the semi-final against Denmark on Wednesday was not over until 10.45pm.

'We'll try to give drivers later shifts'

Boss of Stagefreight Ian Uttley is trying to be flexible with his drivers

Some firms are already working on the assumption there will be some sort of hangover effect on their workforce and are trying to work around it.

Ian Uttley director at transport firm Stagefreight, told the BBC's Wake Up to Money Programme he had been doing his best to give drivers a later start: "We do have a lot of England fans but it's very difficult. We try to give them later shifts but at the end of the day they are professional drivers doing a professional job.

"We are trying to give them time off. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience but we do work seven days a week and there'll always be someone in a truck somewhere who will need to drive the next day. Someone has to get the food to the supermarket shelves and into the shops."

He said there were strict checks in place to ensure no-one was tempted to over celebrate: "We expect them to limit alcohol limits and we expect them to be under the limit when they start driving - and we do conduct checks."

Late pub opening

Downing Street supports the idea, saying employers who are able to should be flexible about allowing staff to go in to work late on Monday or take the day off if England win.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official spokesman said: "We would want businesses who feel able to consider it if they can, but we recognise it will vary depending on the business and company."

Mr Johnson has already said pubs can stay open until 11.15pm this Sunday to reduce the risk of customers being told to leave before the match ends.

Downing Street has said it will set out any celebrations such as a victory parade for the England team "in due course", but has not confirmed whether plans for a potential bank holiday are in motion behind the scenes.