World Cup 2010: Looking for extra time

As the world becomes smaller with the advent of new technologies, the football World Cup grows ever bigger. This summer's tournament in South Africa, kicking off on 11 June, is set to raise billions of dollars for the South African economy, although less than originally anticipated as the recession takes its toll on fans' pockets. Football's world governing body, Fifa, is anticipating over £1bn in profits from sales and lucrative marketing rights.

The teams bring with them to the competition the hopes and dreams of 32 nations and after the disappointment of missing out on Euro 2008, England has sailed through the qualifying stages, culminating in an exhilarating 5-1 defeat of Croatia at Wembley Stadium. As a result, England is bristling with excitement as a month of non-stop, world-class football promises to keep many fans on the edge of their seats. Meanwhile, many brokers' employees and clients will support rival countries, growing just as excited as England's fans. Those fans of Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland will once again have to decide whether to support England or their opponents.

Although the World Cup should put many in a good mood, at least temporarily, there are challenges for employers to ensure that they have the right balance between 'business as usual' and celebrating the occasion. As the BBC spends millions of pounds of license fee money on covering the tournament, us mere mortals left behind will try to focus on the day job, though clearly the distraction of the world's second-biggest sporting occasion is potentially a huge disruption to the working day.

Timing clash
One of the key areas to note is that some attractive matches for fans will take place during work hours, such as the opening fixture (South Africa v Mexico), England's final group game against Slovenia, Portugal v Brazil and two quarter-finals, all of which games start at 15:00 BST (see box). Already there have been warnings from the likes of Deloitte that failure to tap into the spirit of the World Cup could lead to extended sick leave and high levels of absenteeism, costing employers millions of pounds. Making it clear that staff should take holiday if they want to watch a game could help.

David Grant, deputy underwriter and director of distribution at Equity Insurance Group, told PB that his company is very much embracing the festivities. He says: "When the World Cup comes along, people get very excited, especially as we didn't make the Euro championship last time. This is a chance for staff to enjoy themselves, especially on the back of a recession."

Equity sees the tournament as a great marketing opportunity, with football screenings and broker events featuring ex-footballers at the stadiums of such teams as Aston Villa, Chelsea and Manchester City. Signed England shirts, staff competitions and a more flexible World Cup work agenda are part of the mix. (There is also a competition in conjunction with our website, more details for which are at the end of this article.)

Grant warns, though, that there is a responsibility to control any parties properly, especially where alcohol is flowing. He also advises managers to remember those staff with little interest in football; Equity, for instance, has already made plans for an away day for those wanting to escape the World Cup.

Richard Simpkins, law phone supervisor at Allianz Legal Protection, says that any World Cup screening at work should be viewed in the same way as Christmas parties. He explains: "It is sensible to ration alcohol and if you have staff that are under 18 you need to keep an eye on it." He also thinks that a World Cup policy is a good idea to allow people to make plans, especially if they want to take time off to watch the games. He feels that, whatever precautions an employer takes, illness could go up anyway.

Simpkins comments: "As there is self-certification for seven days, you often can't plan for illness but you can try to actively manage your way around it. Perhaps you can introduce flexible working hours or allow people to work from home." Staff could be encouraged to come to work an hour and a half early or to work later into the evening so they can relax during the game. Simpkins adds that you cannot discriminate against staff from other countries and that, if England's followers can watch, fans of other nations should be allowed time to watch their teams. Dress codes should also be taken into account, such as whether to allow replica team shirts in the office.

Iain McMath, managing director at Sodexo employee benefits, is adopting a pragmatic approach to the World Cup. He believes that people are going to want to watch the games and is putting up screens in the office - make sure you have a television licence if you do this - and has also introduced a table football game to the workplace. With the advent of television being available online, some staff might try to watch games at their desks, so it is worth ensuring that they know whether or not this is permitted.

Competition options
McMath, who is an advocate of non-financial incentives, is dividing the staff into four teams among their departments to compete in a World Cup competition. He is not, however, allowing alcohol into the office, citing moral and legal problems in doing so. For those who don't like football, he has opted to install an Olympics game on a Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit in the office, although there are no alternatives for those who don't like sport altogether.

Employers should also be wary that absenteeism could increase as countries progress in the tournament, the situation becoming even more exciting for some staff, especially for those countries that nobody expected to do well before the tournament. For the record, David Grant at Equity predicts a strong challenge from Spain and Brazil.

Whatever your office policy for this World Cup, it is essential to be fair to all employees, ensuring that everybody is aware of the rules. Adopting the right approach can generate good will among employees, which will help make them more likely to be around at your firm for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

For details of our spectacular World Cup competition in conjunction with Equity Red Star, go to www.broking.co.uk/competition. On offer are fantastic prizes, including South African wines, Euro Championship qualifier tickets and even an Apple iPad.

Key dates and games most likely to affect your business
11 June - Opening game: South Africa v Mexico (15:00 BST)
23 June - Slovenia v England (15:00)
25 June - Portugal v Brazil (15:00)
28 - 29 June - Two knockout games among the last sixteen kick off at 15:00 on Monday and Tuesday
2 July - A quarter final match (15:00)
NB. After the group stages, England, assuming they go through, will avoid any further games during work hours, though remember that England is not the only team your staff will be interested in.

Top employer's considerations for the World Cup
• Are you allowing your staff to watch the games and how? • Do you have a television licence?
• Do you have alternative activities planned for those not interested in football?
• How will you make sure staff entertainment is monitored closely?
• Will you have enough taff to keep on top of business during key games?
• If some people are watching the game and others are not, what can you do to ensure that distractions are kept to a minimum?

Source: PB – June 2010