HR Guide to the World Cup

In less than two months time, the 2010 World Cup will be underway which is likely to be the key topic of conversation amongst many employees.

This has the potential to cause disruption and could effect the productivity levels of your business.

As many employees will want to watch key matches during the tournament, including those scheduled during working hours, how can employers reduce the effect the tournament could have on their business?

Employers can adapt and reiterate their working practices to minimise the risk of reduced productivity levels, increased sickness absence and unauthorised leave during the tournament.  This can be achieved by ensuring that all employees are fully aware of company policies and procedures relating to:

• the use of the Internet;
• gambling and betting in the workplace;
• the consumption of alcohol during working hours;
• sickness absence; and
• annual leave. 

You could remind staff that failure to follow company rules and procedures could lead to the instigation of the disciplinary process.

It may also be beneficial to remind employees that a return to work interview will be carried out for any period of sickness absence (where this is currently stated in your process). This can be a deterrent to those considering taking time off work due to a non-genuine illness.

What else can you do?

• Allowing more employees to take annual leave at the same time. Although this could reduce the number of staff working at any one time, absence levels will be known in advance and management can forward plan to ensure sufficient levels of productivity are maintained.
• Enabling employees to work flexible hours during the course of the tournament, e.g. starting the working day earlier or finishing later. This can help to accommodate those who wish to watch key matches whilst ensuring a full day’s work is still completed.
• Offering overtime as a means of covering the workloads of absent colleagues. In order to reduce any financial impact on the business, any additional hours worked could be compensated by offering time off in lieu.
• Allowing those working a shift rota, to swap days off with colleagues, in order to watch a match of their choice.
• Providing radios and/or televisions in the workplace to provide coverage of the tournament.  Employers should ensure that this is in line with Health and Safety regulations and that a valid TV licence is held for the premises before providing this facility.

Implementing some or all of these measures should not only help to minimise the impact of the football tournament, but could also help to boost employee morale.  Introducing such measures should also help to eliminate any conflict in the workplace that could arise as a result of unauthorised employee absences and the impact this will inevitably have on the workload of colleagues.