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World Cup tea breaks?
The 2010 FIFA World Cup takes place in South Africa on 11th June 2010 to 11th July 2010 and, if previous years are anything to judge by, the whole nation will be gripped with World Cup fever. Some employers will embrace the competition as an opportunity to connect with and engage their staff whilst others will worry about the impact it may have on their business. In this month's Working Times we consider some of the key problems employers may encounter and suggest some practical solutions.
Timing
England's first three group games are at 7.30pm on Sat 12th June, 7.30pm on Friday 18th June and 3pm on Wednesday 23rd June. The timing of any future games will depend upon how well the team do in their group. Most employers will have been relieved to see that only one of England's group one games will be played in normal office hours; in 2002, time differences meant that every game was in normal work time. Nevertheless, businesses that operate in the evenings and at weekends are likely to feel the impact; thousands of shift workers will be eager to tune in and watch the national team hopefully trounce the USA and Slovenia and getting staff to work overtime could be a big challenge.
How to handle staff lateness?
Staff who have been up late drinking to celebrate their chosen team's success (or perhaps drowning their sorrows) may be tempted to turn up late for work the next morning. Employees think a few lost minutes here and there won't matter, but those lost minutes can add up to a serious loss of productivity and workplace disruption for an employer. To be successful in tackling lateness, it is important that the contract or staff handbook clearly sets out what is expected of the employees in terms of attending work on time and sticking to any set break times.
In practical terms, many employers expect some give and take and will turn a blind eye to occasional lateness, particularly if the employee in question routinely works longer hours than necessary. If an employer wishes to adopt a stricter approach it might be sensible to remind employees of the company policy on lateness in the run up to the World Cup. In most cases, provided an employer has made its expectations clear to staff, disciplinary action can be taken against staff members who are late without good reason.
What about 'sickies'?
Staff suffering from a 'hang-over' might be tempted to avoid coming into work at all by phoning in sick. The 'sickie' phenomenon is a tough one for employers to deal with. Such an absence is unlikely to extend beyond the self-certification period, so proving that an employee was not really ill is very difficult. Without very good evidence that the employee was not genuinely sick, in which case disciplinary action may be taken, the best strategy is to discourage 'sickies' in the first place. A combination of ensuring the employee must personally telephone their line manager and having back to work interviews will often reduce the number of false absences. A more proactive solution might be to allow some flexibility about working hours, where this is practical, so that an employee who gets into work late can make the time up at the end of the day. Repeated 'sickies', with no underlying cause, can be treated as misconduct and disciplinary action taken.
Working under the influence of alcohol
Given the timing of the games, employers who operate a 24 hour workplace or have employees working nightshift might find staff turning up to work under the influence of alcohol. Whether such indulgence will be tolerated will depend upon the employers' business and the role undertaken by the employee. However, what is reasonable will be a question of degree. For example, it would not generally be acceptable for an employee who operates heavy machinery or works with the public to be under the influence of alcohol at work. In contrast, a marketing executive who has been asked to take key clients out to watch the game on the big screen would not generally be expected to steer clear of alcohol.
If an employee is suspected of working under the influence of alcohol, the most appropriate course of action may be to suspend the employee (with full pay, unless the contract of employment specifies that suspension in these circumstances may be unpaid). The employee should be discouraged from driving and, if necessary, a taxi should be provided to take the employee home. Following a short suspension to allow the employer to investigate the situation (typically one or two days), the employee can subsequently be recalled to the workplace to attend an investigatory interview to establish his or her version of events. Depending on the outcome of the investigations, disciplinary action may follow. If, however, it is established through investigations that the employee has an alcohol addiction, an employer is expected to take an approach which is similar to that taken in relation to long-term illness; obtaining a medical opinion, making reasonable adjustments and allowing time for rehabilitation etc.
Internet use
Many employers allow their staff to make limited use of workplace internet facilities outside of working hours. This is seen as a nice perk, particularly for staff who do not have access to computers at home. However, during the World Cup employers may find their systems jammed with staff surfing the internet for the latest scores and World Cup news. To minimise this, it would be sensible to remind employees of the employer's rules regarding personal usage, that monitoring of usage may take place and of the consequences of non-compliance. Disciplinary action can be taken against staff who abuse their internet privileges provided any monitoring takes place in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, Human Rights Act 1998, and the Telecommunications (Lawful Business Practice) (Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000 (an explanation of which is beyond the scope of this article).
Harassment & discrimination
It should be remembered that not all staff will support England. A major sporting event such as the World Cup can have the effect of highlighting the different nationalities represented in the workforce. Whilst much of the banter that will pass between employees supporting different national teams will be in good spirits, there is a danger that, left unchecked, teasing can get out of hand. The border between mutual competitive banter and bullying is not a clear one, so it may be helpful to remind team managers of the risk and to issue a reminder of the equal opportunities policy to staff. Moreover, it is important for employers to make sure that their approach to staff with different nationalities is consistent; if employees are allowed to watch England games at work the same perk should be offered to staff supporting other national teams.
Could the World Cup be an opportunity to boost team morale?
Some employers are embracing the World Cup as an opportunity to boost team morale. By taking positive action and working with staff to bring the World Cup into the workplace, many of the problems identified above will become less of an issue. By allowing some flexibility to employees who wish to watch the games, an employer will become less the oppressor and more the friendly boss who really got into the spirit of the competition. If working conditions allow, one approach is to allow staff a couple of hours off to watch the games on designated TV screens as long as they make the time up later. Another option is to consider running a flexitime working schedule, and perhaps enable staff to swap shifts with those who are happy to work during games. The World Cup could provide the perfect opportunity for team bonding, and it may be an idea to set up a TV in meeting rooms for big games. The World Cup engages the nation like no other sporting event, and even those with little interest in football are suddenly eager to cheer on the England team. Therefore, employers are advised to adopt a flexible approach to ensure that they don't score an own goal in employee relations. |
If you would like any more information about this, or related employment matters, please do not hesitate to contact Adrian Berkeley 07000 269 25246 or 07000 ANY CLAIM.
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