BONALLACK & BISHOP SALISBURY SOLICITORS PRESS RELEASE
26th May 2010

THE WORLD CUP AND YOUR WORKERS

The World Cup is almost upon us. Love it or hate it, what effect will it have on the productivity of British business? A survey by internet service provider Eclipse found that 54% of UK employees are planning to watch the matches on their computer at work between 11 June and 11 July. Furthermore, according to a poll by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 90% of British businesses do not have a policy for staff absence during the World Cup. However many staff you employ, having a game plan to tackle the World Cup is probably a good idea. But what are your options?

Commenting on these surveys, Tim Bishop, senior partner of the Salisbury law firm  Bonallack and Bishop, has the following suggestions:

Offer unpaid holiday leave

Some staff may consider using part of the annual leave or even pretend to be off sick. Why not simply allow staff unpaid holiday leave instead?

Use or introduce flexitime

Employers might consider introducing flexitime where appropriate during the tournament, such as letting employees work outside normal hours, if they prefer to watch a game during the normal working day.

Allow people to watch while they work

Having the match on at work in the background may be OK for some businesses -- but could create real problems in an open-plan office environment. It's also likely to be disruptive to more people than intended with distraction even for those staff who don't want to watch the match. Also bear in mind that if you allow staff to watch TV at work, you will need a TV license.

Use the opportunity for team bonding

Consider setting up a TV in a meeting room for big games or perhaps reserve an area in a pub with a big-screen one night.

Swapping shifts

Why not encourage shift swapping – perhaps on a notice board or staff intranet so those employees who want to watch a game can contact those who are happy to cover their shifts.

For further employment law advice, contact one of our Employment Law Solicitors.