Harvey Ingram advise on how to deal with employees during the World Cup - Be on the ball

June 4, 2010 - PRLog -- Some employees will want time off to watch matches, some will request time off as holiday and others might just not turn up or throw a sickie. Careful planning is essential to ensure that you balance the interests of all of your employees in order to maintain a happy workforce.

Attack or Defence?
As an employer it is important to be proactive in order to manage staff levels and maximise business productivity. In order to successfully manage staff attendance during this period you should follow your normal holiday and sickness procedures.

You should manage holiday requests by ensuring that normal notice requirements for annual leave are adhered to. As you may find that many employees will want time off at the same time (i.e.- on days when their national team is playing) you should ensure that you adopt fair policies for dealing with those holiday requests. It may be appropriate to operate a first come first served procedure.

During the World Cup it may also be worth while considering alternatives to employees taking annual leave such as various flexible working arrangements and screening matches at work. However you are under no obligation to do so. Be cautious to ensure that you are balancing the needs of all your employees. This includes those who do not have an interest in the World Cup.

In order to deter employees from taking unwarranted sickness absences it is important to get as much information from your employee as you can when they ring in to let you know the reason for their sickness and always hold return to work interviews on their first day back at work.

Most importantly, communicate clearly with your employees. Be clear about what you expect from them in terms of attendance and performance. If you can't agree to any flexible working arrangements then say so. Be clear that any flexible working arrangements for watching the matches are only temporary.

Yellow Card!
Employees should be made aware that any unauthorised absence will result in disciplinary action. Careful monitoring of absences will help spot any suspicious patterns. Do you have any triggers in your sickness policies to deal with repeated unauthorised absences?

You may find employees sitting at their desks watching or listening to matches on the web by use of social networking sites, sports news websites and official World Cup pages. It is therefore important is to monitor the use of internet and email. Many of you already have the right to do this by virtue of provisions within your contracts, policies or handbooks but if not, contact us on how to arrange this.

A firm approach should be taken when dealing with employees who come to work intoxicated or suffering from the effects of being intoxicated the night before.. This may amount to gross misconduct, and employees should be made aware that such behaviour may result in disciplinary action if it affects their ability to perform their duties.

Red Card!
It is vital to protect the health and safety of all your employees. Drinking at work, aggressive behaviour and any racist conduct cannot be accepted. Employees should understand that such behaviour is likely to amount to gross misconduct and as a result they may well be dismissed from their employment.

Don't get caught offside; protecting the interests of your business and the health and safety of your employees is your number one priority! And, remember that Wimbledon is only just around the corner...

If you would like more advice on this or any other employment law and HR issue, please contact John Simon on john.simon@harveyingram.com or call 0116 257 4413.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://www.harveyingram.com/legal-services/commercial-ser...

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Harvey Ingram solicitors is one of the leading law firms in the Midlands with offices in Leicester, Birmingham and Milton Keynes.We provide a comprehensive range of services to companies and private individuals alike.