Don’t let Wayne be a pain in the work place

Date published: 11 June 2010

Firms may be flouting discrimination laws by relaxing their rules to accommodate fans who want to watch crunch World Cup matches.

The warning comes as Continental Tyres, one the worldwide companies sponsoring the FIFA World Cup, reporting that up to one in four workers plans to “take a sickie” during the tournament. 

Some companies may be feeling pressure to allow temporary flexible working for football supporters to ensure business as usual, however, permitting employees to work through lunch, modify start and finish times or alter their shifts can make a lot of sense, but don’t treat football fans differently from other groups of workers — Wimbledon or Test cricket fans, for example — who may have had similar requests turned down in the past.

Experience from previous big sporting events shows that some staff phone in sick because they want to watch a particular match or because they are feeling the effects of post-match celebrations.

Establishing the truth can be tricky for employers who think the sickness isn’t genuine — but it is not impossible. 

Firms should get as much detail as possible from an employee who calls in sick — and from the return-to-work interview and act on the information available, but fairly and consistently.

Employers should remind employees of the company’s holiday policy and, if demand for certain days off is high, consider allocating leave on a first-come first-served basis, or by drawing lots.

There may be a case for installing television for employees to watch matches at work, but experts strongly advise against allowing alcohol on the premises as well as being a genuine health and safety risk firms could damage their reputation if customers are left dealing with inebriated staff.

Employers should remind staff of their policies against race discrimination ahead of the World Cup and may consider it appropriate to gently remind employees that they should avoid causing offence to workers of other nationalities when discussing the tournament with colleagues.