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10th June 2010 - World Cup Madness
With today’s kick off of the World Cup 2010, there’s a certain excitement in the air. However, for employers there’s apprehension as to what percentage of their staff will be struck down with ‘illness’ around the days that their team is playing.
Our best advice to provide a win/win situation is to consider offering your staff flexi-time over the next few weeks. This way, you appear to be a thoughtful and lenient boss, whilst avoiding any unexpected absences and the admin that follows.
However, a risk with this approach is where your ‘generosity’ stops. Wimbledon is fast approaching, what of those employees who could take or leave football but are die hard Andy Murray fans? Whatever your approach, it is important that it is consistent. It may be an idea to offer an alternative, either football or tennis. This won’t solve the problem though, as what becomes of the less popular sporting events, should there be a blanket allowance for flexi-time when there is any sport playing at any event, anywhere in the world? In practice, this is unworkable for a busy office.
The Football World Cup happens once every four years; it’s not so much of a hardship allowing flexi-time on these occasions. To prevent any unfairness, maybe it would be best to allow your employees to ask for flexi-time when their sports are on, but avoid putting any rights to this time off in writing. Of course there is a risk that employees will be claiming it is discriminatory to allow time off for sport and not other interests, so also prepare for requests for flexi-time when the Chelsea Flower Show is on and approach this in the same way. The contracts should remain as initially drafted, with the set hours the employees are expected to work. Any deviation from this would therefore be an unexpected bonus.
One unfortunate but likely problem is that of a lesser workforce the day after a big match. Whilst we know that 99% of us will be sitting down in a civil manner with a pot of tea quietly applauding as the goals roll in, there will be a select few drinking irresponsibly in rowdy pubs well into the evening. It is one thing offering flexi-time whilst the matches are on but it is wholly different when dealing with the post-celebratory (or dare we say it, commiseratory) drinking sessions and the subsequent hangovers. Our advice to you is to make sure that your processes in dealing with this are clear to all of your employees, so that they are well aware of the consequences they face if arriving late or not at all. Alternatively, if you’re all going out to support together, it may be worth offering a later start to all in return for an agreement to make the hours up later in the month. After all, if you can support each other in the drinking, you can support each other in the recovery!
For further advice on any of the issues raised, contact our consultants on 01273 236 236.
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