The World Cup takes place from 20th November until 18th December, and while football may or may not come home, could it be that more pressing question is do you want it at your workplace?
It is true that events like the World Cup can be very exciting, but with so many games taking place during normal working hours and the potential impact of those held outside of normal working hours on staff absence and holiday requests, businesses may also find it difficult to strike a balance between patriotism and productivity.
Get ready to red-card any fouls
Setting expectations ahead of time is recommended, including what type of language and behaviour is acceptable.
Since most businesses employ people from multiple nationalities, there will likely be differences of opinion regarding who should, or should not, win particular matches or the competition in general.
The staff should understand that racist language or language that could be perceived as racist will not be tolerated under any circumstances, even when it is disguised as "banter" about national football teams.
Select your match-day squad
It is possible that certain days will receive a higher than usual number of holiday requests due to certain games being more high profile than others. You may need to decide if you will allow requests to be submitted with less notice than you would ordinarily require, such as accepting requests once staff members know whether their team has progressed to the next stage of the competition, as well as whether you will allow more employees than usual to take holidays at once.
Additionally, it may be a good idea to remind staff about absences generally to prevent over enthusiastic support from resulting in equally enthusiastic hangovers. It would be helpful to remind staff to record sick days, any evidence of illness, and details of any return-to-work process so they can moderate their celebrations (or drown their sorrows!).
Tell your team about extra time
It is important to consider whether or not you will allow staff to watch or listen to matches during working hours if they are in the office (or working from home). Keep in mind that if you permit your employees to watch one nation's matches during work time, you should allow them to watch other nations' matches as well to avoid any discrimination issues.
It is important to make it clear if you plan to allow staff to watch games during work hours whether they will be expected to make up any lost time or if you will allow a good faith arrangement where employees still have to meet deadlines/productivity requirements instead of having to work additional hours.
Be on the ball
Even though the World Cup may present headaches (both in HR and G&T! ), it can also be an opportunity to build goodwill among staff or to engage in some low-cost team building. Whether your favourite team heads for an early bath or wins the tournament, the World Cup only occurs once every four years, so when possible, it may be the perfect time to be a little flexible.
After all, football is not a matter of life and death, it’s much more serious than that!
I am a Fellow Certified Chartered Accountant with over 10 years’ experience, and the Director of Expert Accounting and Finance.
