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'World Cup-itis’ Could Cause One in Seven to Skip Work

New evidence confirms that football fever could be responsible for a surge in sickies, as high as one in seven young men, when June’s World Cup kicks off, according to research by leading UK expert in workplace issues, Croner.

Thirteen percent of men, compared with only four percent of women, among the 2,191 adults polled for Croner by YouGov, said they have called in sick to watch a match, or to recover from match-related drinking the night before.

The younger generation are the worst offenders with a staggering 16% of men and women aged between 18 and 29 admitting to taking unauthorised absence for a major sporting event.

But, with many matches due to fall in working hours, employers who provide TV access at work could avoid the problem of absences and actually benefit from improved employee relations and boost morale by helping staff enjoy the World Cup season.

Croner is urging employers to consider allowing employees to watch matches at work, but they should also update their annual leave policies now to include special advice for employees on the procedure for taking time off for sporting events, to serve as a reminder to employees who are thinking of bunking off to the pub.

Richard Smith, employment services director at Croner says: “Absence management always features high on employers’ lists of concerns around major spectator events like Wimbledon, the Olympics, and of course the imminent World Cup. We’re quite surprised by such a high proportion of people admitting they are feigning illness so they can enjoy a major sporting event, but we are advising our clients on how they can actually turn this to their advantage.

“Rather than worry about employees being struck down with ‘World Cup-itis’ on match days, they should be thinking of how temporarily relaxing the rules can have positive returns for their business. We’re strongly advising employers to provide on-site TV access to important games and to encourage employees who wish to enjoy alcohol during games to request annual leave around match days. Annual leave policies should be updated with clear guidelines issued to all employees, emphasising that unauthorised absence could lead to disciplinary action.”

Croner is also reminding employers of the rules around granting annual leave. Smith continues: “Even employers who decide to televise games should be prepared for a bout of annual leave requests and be ready to deal with them. In most cases it’s impractical for a business to allow a large proportion of the workforce to take annual leave at one time, so employers may refuse annual leave requests on the grounds of the business’s needs. It’s therefore essential to have a fair system in place for granting annual leave, such as random selection or on a first-come-first-served basis.”

“Even though it’s likely that younger males will be first in line for holiday at this time, employers must ensure it is granted fairly, otherwise they could be guilty of sex discrimination,” warns Smith.

He adds: “It’s worth remembering that not all staff will be interested in watching World Cup games, so we’d also suggest that employers who decide to provide TV access consider a similar perk for those staff who aren’t fans, who may feel left out.”

Croner has advised businesses to be prepared for the World Cup and is issuing a simple model policy to help employers give their staff a sporting chance of enjoying the football season.

Employers should issue the following advice to their employees:
1. Employees who wish to take time off to watch a sporting event must book annual leave using the normal procedures
2. Annual leave will not unreasonably be refused, but may not be granted in order to maintain minimum staffing levels
3. Disciplinary action may be taken if an employee is absent on the day of a major sporting event without a valid or medical reason
4. Employees absent without authorisation will not be paid for the time not worked
5. A TV or radio may be provided at the employer’s discretion
6. Employees are not permitted to consume alcohol on work premises or during working hours
7. This policy is non-contractual and the organisation reserves the right to amend or withdraw it at any time.

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