With the World Cup just over a week away, the Forum of Private Business is advising its members to plan ahead for the likelihood that some employees will take more of an interest in their team’s fortunes than their duties and want to watch games during work hours.
This year’s tournament in South Africa has made life a little easier for some employers operating ‘nine to five’, Monday to Friday hours, due to kick-off times for England’s group matches taking place at weekends or in the evening during the week.
However, international football championships and other big sporting events often lead to staff being more distracted than normal and a raft of requests to view matches live.
The Forum’s head of policy, Matt Goodman, said: “Sporting events like the World Cup can present major headaches for small firms whose employees are understandably excited and want to watch games during work hours.
“Work is work and it is important to know when to draw the line on issues such as unauthorised absenteeism and declining productivity, but the sensible approach for both employers and their staff is to be flexible.
“Watching games together in work can help team members to bond, as long as the lost hours are made up later, and firms could consider granting staff time off if cover is available.”
