The FIFA Men’s World Cup kicks-off on 20 November – football fan or not, it’s bound to have an impact on managing your staff. The tournament, which lasts until 18 December, is being hosted by Qatar which means many of the matches will fall during or shortly after the typical
working day. (List of key games below)
Homeworking plays a bigger part for many employers, so can your policy apply equally to all?
How can employers maintain productivity without being kill-joys?
Could you boost morale by allowing staff to participate in so way together?
We take a look at some of the issues:
Communication
- Make sure staff are aware of the expectations of the company in advance and what, if any, arrangements are to be made.
- If you already have a Sport Events Policy this should be circulated.
Flexible Approach
- One way to facilitate employees following major tournaments is to allow games to
be screened or listened to in the workplace if your type of business allows. Remember not all employees will be fans so consider a sport free zone as well.
- Allow employees to start or finish earlier or work later to fit in around key events.
- Consider your internet/social media/mobile phone policy – can this be relaxed to allow employees to follow the action?
Annual Leave Requests
- More organised fans may have already requested time off, but in the case of knock out competitions as teams progress to the next round you may get a flurry of leave requests. Follow your usual policy and be fair and consistent in how requests are granted.
Absence
- An employee calls in sick or fails to arrive on the day of the big game? Follow your usual procedures. You may want remind staff of your absence procedures and the possible consequences of unauthorised absence.
Alcohol
- Sport and a few drinks often go hand in hand. But what if your employees are turning up for work in an unfit state? Again, your usual policy should be followed. You should also have a policy in place regarding drinking during working hours.
Equality
- Don’t forget it’s not all about the home nations. You may have staff supporting a number of different countries so make sure any flexible arrangements include them as well.
- Beware of ‘banter’ that crosses that the line. Sporting tournaments can bring out national pride but that should never be an excuse for offensive behaviour or remarks.
- There is controversy regarding Qatar hosting the event, including issues around human
rights and the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community, women and migrant workers. Some are therefore choosing not to engage with the World Cup and employers will need to be respectful of their views.
- Some people hate sport! Avoid them becoming resentful by being open in your communications and not allowing them to have an increased work load
due to others taking advantage of a flexible working approach.
If you need advice on developing or implementing your workplace policies RBA would be pleased to hear from you.
