Over half (53%) of working males and one in five females (21%) intend to watch the 2010 World Cup matches scheduled to take place during office hours as they happen, according to a poll of over 1,000 workers commissioned by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC).   Overall, 39% of workers said they intend to watch these games.

While some employees (14%) will be watching at work with permission from their employer, a minority (5%) intend to watch without permission or call in sick.  Employers can also expect significant numbers of staff to take annual leave (9%) or use flexible working policies to take time off (11%).   

Some bosses might prefer England to go out early; others would enjoy the boost to morale that a good team performance could bring.  But, with less than 100 days until the World Cup kicks off, employers need to make plans to accommodate requests and cover absences, planned or otherwise, with minimal disruption to productivity and client/ customer service.  

Michael Rendell, partner and leader, human resource services, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, commented:

“Employers anticipating a spike in annual leave requests and absenteeism among football fans need to plan for the impact on staffing and productivity.   There is huge goodwill to be gained from accommodating flexible working requests or allowing staff to take a couple of hours out to watch the games.  With pay rises scarce and bonus pools down, this is a great way to thank and engage staff while bringing a very tangible opportunity to revisit and communicate flexible-working policies.

“Putting screens up in workplaces or encouraging online viewing are relatively easy ways to give office-based employees access to the games in real time.   Organisations that rely on mobile salespeople or shop-floor staff, for example, will face more of a challenge but making early arrangements will help mitigate this.

“In addition to careful planning, fairness is critical – not everyone is interested in football and those who aren’t might appreciate the opportunity to pick up overtime covering for absent colleagues or time off to do charity work. 

“Not all matches will take place during ‘office hours’ so those businesses operating outside nine-to-five hours, particularly pubs, should ask employees about their plans now as they may need to bring in temporary staff.” 

ENDS