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With the UEFA European Championship well underway (The final is scheduled for Sunday, 10 July), employers who have not already done so should ensure they put policies in place to deal with any issues that could arise and that employees fully understand them.
Whilst you are under no obligation to make adjustments to cater for employees who wish to watch the matches, if you are able to offer some degree of flexibility during such events, it is an opportunity to improve employee motivation and morale, but be sure to take a fair and consistent approach. Employers are advised to consider the issues that can arise due to major sporting events, if they have not done so recently, and ensure they have the necessary policies in place to deal with them.
Catering to employees who wish to watch certain matches is an opportunity to boost staff morale and motivation, but you are not obliged to do so. You should ensure that any such arrangements are equally beneficial for staff who support teams other than England and do not have a negative impact on staff who are not football fans. The fixtures include some weekday afternoon kick-offs.
You should ensure that staff understand your policy regarding last-minute requests for annual leave and what disciplinary action will be taken in the event of unauthorised absences or if employees are incapacitated because of too little sleep or too much alcohol. Holding back-to-work interviews when employees have been off sick not only deters malingering, but can also help identify any action that can be taken to improve their working conditions.
Matches will also be available online, so ensure your staff are aware of your policy on Internet use. If you are considering relaxing your usual rules for the tournament, make sure you have the necessary bandwidth to do so without this affecting system performance. It is also worth reminding staff of your policy on use of social media sites. If you are monitoring Internet usage, you are required by law to make this clear to all employees.
If you are considering adopting flexible working arrangements, it is important that these do not discriminate against staff who support teams other than England. Many workers from abroad will be supporting their own national teams. Any arrangements made should not have an adverse effect on workers who have no interest in football.
Staff should also be aware that any racist or other discriminatory conduct or comments will not be tolerated.