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Football fever firmly grips the nation today as England head to the first semi final in 25 years at Wembley, however many face missing the long awaited match due to being stuck at work. Even those who are not avid fans are tempted or distracted by the increasing social atmosphere surrounding the event.

It was widely reported prior to the quarter final match which kicked off at 8pm last Saturday, that bosses had been urged to let staff leave early, in time to watch the showdown with Ukraine.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) said “firms should be flexible as Euro 2020 reaches its final stages, by letting staff start early or finish late to make up hours taken out to watch big games. More than one in five UK employees work during evenings and weekends and do not deserve to be handed a red card for supporting their football heroes”.

Despite the call for flexibility, employers remain concerned as they try to get back on track after the devastating impact of the pandemic whilst being conscious that millions of UK working days are expected to be lost as people either take sick days to watch games or in the aftermath of matches following raucous late night celebrations.

How can employers manage football fever?

• Annual leave

Employers are advised to plan as much as possible around the upcoming final matches, letting employees know in advance if; and when they can book days off. This is often best done by reference to annual leave policies which may have minimum timeframes to request leave, and by reminding staff of sick leave entitlements to deter sporadic sick days as a result of the football.

• Watch / Listen to matches at work

Some employers are electing to allow staff to watch matches, or even allow them to listen to the game live on radio, which can often be possible in working environments such as hospitality or warehouses.

• Change in working hours

For businesses that can allow more flexibility, an option may be to adjust start and finish times to allow people to leave work earlier to be able to go and watch the match.

Employers are also reminded that not every member of staff will be an England supporter and people may have an avid interest in following certain matches, or their national teams. This can result in a person requesting more time off or added flexibility due to supporting multiple teams.

Warning

Employers are reminded that not every member of staff will be an England supporter and people may have an avid interest in following certain matches, or their national teams. This can result in a person requesting more / different time(s)  off or added flexibility due to supporting multiple teams.

Discrimination issues

Employers need to be aware of the potential discrimination issues that could arise. In particular, employers should ensure that they offer the same arrangements to all staff. There can often be incidents of harassment such as intimidating or hostile remarks made to staff based on who they support and match results / how teams play which can result in complaints and employers should make it clear that any such behaviour is not acceptable.

Covid Safety

Employers are responsible for the safety of employees if staff socials or gatherings are planned and any events must meet Covid safe requirements based on risk assessments. Some employees may be choosing to limit social contact (now due to the rising cases) and may feel concerned about colleagues attending events or external venues, this will take careful management and for employers to be able to address concerns by highlighting precautions being taken in accordance with the covid risk assessment and reassuring worried staff. Employers can provide lateral flow tests for any employees attending the workplace after having attended external events or matches with large numbers.

Managing WFH distractions

It is anticipated that there may well be a reduction in productivity because those working from home have more flexibility to watch games whilst ‘working’. Employers should make it clear what is acceptable and what isn’t, for example whether watching a match during working hours when working from home is acceptable.

Out of hours

Employers should remind employees that their conduct and behaviour even outside working hours should be of an acceptable nature. An employee’s actions have the potential to damage an employer’s reputation and negatively affect its business and employees should be made aware that employers can take disciplinary action for misconduct outside work and this is a potentially fair reason for dismissal.

For further advice on how to manage football in the workplace and other employment issues please contact a member of the employment team on 020 8363 4444.