The World Cup is kicking off later this week in Qatar, and for the first time in over half a century, Wales have qualified.
Whilst there be many from the Red Wall who will be making the trip, the vast majority of fans will be watching the matches on screens back here.
The time difference between Wales and Qatar means that the majority of the initial group matches will be taking place during the day when many will be in work. These include Wales v Iran at 10am on Friday 25th November, and England v Iran on Monday 21st November at 1pm.
James Watkins (pictured), Senior Associate at Howells Solicitors and keen Wales football fan, provides his advice for employers and employees to help.
The World Cup could potentially bring about several work-related issues for you and your employees, the most common type of work-related issues being:
- Sickness absence
- Requests for annual leave
- Device usage during working hours
Sickness Absence
During the World Cup, it would be wise to monitor employee absence and any patterns which may form. For example, any high levels of sickness, late attendance or lower levels of performance at work which could be as a result of match fixtures or post event celebrations. However, employers are warned against jumping to any conclusions without fair cause.
It’s good practice to remind employees of the company’s sickness absence policy, and to remind staff that the policy will continue to apply during the tournament and the consequences which employees could be faced with if the policy is not followed. You should ensure that the organisation implements the policy fairly and consistently.
Annual Leave
Employees may wish to book annual leave for some matches. Therefore, you should remind employees of your annual leave policy, as this will inform employees of how to correctly book time off. You may be more flexible with granting time off during this time. However, you may want to remind employees that if there are already a number of employees off at that time, then the company will be unable to grant leave.
It may be best during this time to adopt a ‘first come first served’ approach in order to relieve any issues which could occur when refusing one employee’s leave and allowing another’s. Leave requests should be considered fairly.
Flexible Working
During the tournament, many of the group games will kick-off at either 10am or 4pm. An option to consider may be to allow for flexible working during the event. You may be able to put measures in place to allow staff to start later and finish later. However, this may not work for every business.
Instead, you may want to think about whether you allow staff to listen to the radio, watch the TV, or take breaks during event times.
IT, Mobile Phone and Social Media Policies
You should remind all staff members of the IT, social media and mobile phone policies you have in place. This should then act as a preventative measure and remind employees that their internet use is being monitored, as well as their mobile phone use during their working hours.
You should be aware that if you intend to monitor internet usage then, under the data protection regulations, your policy must make it clear that all employees’ internet usage will be monitored. Therefore, it may be a good idea to review your policies before the 20th of November.
Drinking or Being Under the Influence at Work
Often people enjoy having a drink or two while watching the games, which may lead to a few sore heads come the following morning. However, employees should be reminded of the alcohol policy and that it is unacceptable to attend work under the influence of alcohol, or to consume alcohol at work.
Discrimination
Be careful of workplace banter. Sometimes friendly rivalry between colleagues can be good for staff morale. However, some colleagues can end up taking it that one step too far. To minimise the potential of any grievances or legal claims being brought, you should remind all employees that offensive, intimidating, or other inappropriate behaviour will not be accepted.
Most Importantly, Enjoy the World Cup
You can use the World Cup as an opportunity to boost staff morale. You may wish to do so by displaying the flags of all the countries taking part, or by introducing a sweepstake. Alternatively, you may want to consider bringing a TV into work or allowing employees to watch the match in the building with an agreement that they work the time back.
Want to Discuss This in More Detail?
If you’d like to discuss your policies, how events affect your business, or any other form of employment query, our friendly and knowledgeable employment solicitors can help. Get in touch to learn more today.
