You’d pretty much have to be living under a rock to not to realise the World Cup is happening. It’s the biggest event in Football and as a massive football fan myself, I’ve been glued to every game… well nearly! There is of course my normal day job, like many others. As we mark the first week, the big question is how can employers and businesses prepare for World Cup Fever? How do you keep productivity levels high during this big sporting event and can you potentially use it to foster a stronger, more collaborative team culture?
In our opinion, flexibility will be the key during the next few weeks when it comes to what’s best for both employees and the business. According to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management, 87% of employees felt that having flexibility was either extremely, or very important, in choosing a job. This statistic is even more important when large, global sporting events are in full swing. Here are a few easy ways to support both your team and your business during this year’s tournament.
Lunch n’ Watch
If you’re in an office which has a communal kitchen space or separate chill out area, then why not let team members take their lunch break at a slightly later time (as long as it doesn’t impact their workload) to be able to catch the afternoon game.
For instance, here at Action PR, were lucky enough to have a big TV in our meeting room, so provided the sound isn’t disturbing anyone too much, it’s great chance to watch part of the game. Just remember, not everyone is a fan of the beautiful game, so keep viewing parties in meeting rooms or spaces where you can close a door and contain the noise.
Viewing Parties
If it’s an early evening game why not arrange a viewing party at your office? You could organise a Football Night that includes food and drinks, offering staff a chance to mingle and bond outside of work.
Flexible Work Hours
A recent article in Fortune actually calculated the potential number of productive hours at risk as a result of the World Cup. To do this, they assumed local office hour are between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, and that 50% of each country’s workforce will be interested in watching the games. Based on this calculation, they estimated that a total of close to £11 billion in gross domestic product worldwide could be at risk in the first two weeks of the tournament!
As a result, another great option is flexible work hours around important games. Not only will this provide some goodwill with your employees, it could also help avoid an influx of “sick days.” For example, an option could be working from home one day or two so that you don’t miss part of the game, particularly when it’s a 7pm start.
No matter what, it’s important that companies are clear about their policies.
The World Cup is great chance for people to come together, whether you’re a massive football fan or not. Try to embrace it as a form of culture and team building. Besides, it only happens once every four years.
