The end of July heralds the arrival of the Paris Olympics, adding to what has already been an action-packed summer of major sporting events, with Euro 2024 wrapping up in the middle of the month. As an employer, you might have noticed an increase in sickness absences during the Olympics along with a few other...
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The end of July heralds the arrival of the Paris Olympics, adding to what has already been an action-packed summer of major sporting events, with Euro 2024 wrapping up in the middle of the month.
As an employer, you might have noticed an increase in sickness absences during the Olympics along with a few other changes in the working environment.
Whether you’ve openly embraced the summer of sport or have even acknowledged it in the first place, having a sporting event policy can help your business keep on track, particularly if you’ve experienced or are experiencing a sport related HR issue such as increased absenteeism.
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There are numerous benefits for implementing a sports event policy. Once the policy is in place, it can be applied to similar sports events. It allows your business to define its stance on a handful of issues that can arise during major sporting events, including:
Having a policy in place can help inform employees of any changes to standard working practices as well as outlining expectations and potential disciplinary ramifications for employees who show non-compliance.
Deciding to create a policy is the tip of the iceberg, an additional thing to consider is how to effectively communicate said policy to employees.
Ensure you have the policy in writing and a copy of this is provided to staff in advance of the sporting event. This allows employees to review the policy and give ample opportunity to memorise it as well as raise any concerns they may have over the practicalities of the policy.
Consider holding an informal meeting with your employees to set clear expectations of what is expected of them in terms of employee conduct. If you are relaxing certain aspects of current workplace policy to accommodate employees, it would also be a good time to communicate this.
There are several areas that could be covered in your new policy, these are (but are not necessarily limited to):
Some employees may wish to use their holiday entitlement to attend the sporting event in person, or simply allow them to watch the event if it occurs within their normal working hours. If this is the case, you may wish to refer employees to your requesting holiday procedure (even if this is unchanged during the event).
It can sometimes be the case with major sporting events where an employee has had a holiday request denied and the employee fails to show up for work on that date.
In this case consider inputting a clause into your sporting events policy. For instance stating that in the case of the above scenario happening, a full investigation will be carried out and the necessary disciplinary action will be taken, if the reason for the absence is found not to be genuine.
Carrying out a thorough investigation is key to following a fair process, if an unfair dismissal claim is brought the tribunal will look at whether it has been investigated in full.
Some employees might request flexible working arrangements especially if they want to watch or attend the event. In this instance employers may need to manage these requests in accordance with their workplace policies and applicable laws.
In the case of certain industries such as hospitality, there may be an increase in demand during the summer sporting events. This could potentially lead to issues involving overtime pay, working regulations and even employee fatigue.
For sporting events that take place during working hours, having an office TV to allow workers to keep up to date might be a consideration. However, be aware that not all of your employees may have an interest in sports, so this might not suit everyone.
Take the time to remind employees of your policy regarding internet and phone usage during working hours. It might also be useful to remind your staff about company policy regarding social media particularly when it comes to representing the company’s online presence.
Remind employees that watching sports events on company devices could be in breach of workplace IT policy. It could also potentially infringe TV licensing laws.
With sports events there is an association with an increase in alcohol consumption. There may be a requirement for employers to reinforce alcohol and substance abuse policies, particularly where safety is a major concern.
As an employer you have a duty of care to ensure that everyone feels safe in the working environment. Reiterate to employees the company’s stance on proper employee conduct and refer to the disciplinary procedure in instances of non-compliance.
Creating new sports and events policy is one side of the coin. For the policy to be successful, it should be enforced in a fair and consistent manner.
This type of policy will typically cover rules around annual leave, as employees take time off to either watch events or in some cases travel out to watch them live. In this case normal holiday procedure should apply, an example of this would be granting leave on a first come first served basis.
It is important to outline and communicate your policy clearly and ensure fair implementation to avoid the risk of potential discrimination. For example making special concessions around allowing staff to leave early to watch a sporting event, yet refusing the same to staff who’ve requested time to attend a religious event could result in an employee grievance for discrimination.
In most major sports events, there are numerous nations competing. Consider the diversity of your workforce as Great Britain might not be everyone’s home nation and make common sense adjustments accordingly.
By implementing a sporting events policy, you can help maintain a productive workplace. Ensure that you effectively communicate this company wide, including to staff who work remotely or from home. Make a conscious effort to enforce the new guidelines in a consistent manner to avoid any potential conflict.
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