Recent research by Kronos reveals that more than a third of employees (35 per cent) expect the European Championships to cause more absenteeism than Wimbledon (18 per cent) and the Rio Olympics (11 per cent) combined.
One of the easiest options for employers, although it might not be preferable to all, would quite simply be to allow employees the opportunity to watch the important games, particularly those involving the home nations, while they are at work.
Jacob Demeza-Wilkinson, consultant at ELAS says, ‘The advantages of this are that there would only be a two-hour break from work, rather than employees missing full days. Of course the disadvantages with this are that there would be an additional two-hour break in the day on top of normal breaks/lunches etc so productivity would still be somewhat affected.’
It is also important to note here that employers should ensure that they have a TV licence if they intend to show the football, as one is required to show any live TV.
Offering rewards to staff
Demeza-Wilkinson says an alternative would be to offer rewards/bonuses throughout the period of the tournament for good attendance or good performance.
‘This will provide staff members with an incentive to attend work during times where