Rugby Fever

We’re all in Rugby Fever at KaneHR today with the World Cup starting in Japan and whilst it will certainly be an exciting six weeks, it’s good to be aware of any work-related issues which could arise during the tournament. With the time difference in Japan, many matches are scheduled to start early morning or midday on work days and weekends; so it’s likely that you may encounter World Cup related disruption during the tournament.

We have pulled together a few top tips that you may want to take a look at:

1. Check that your absence policies and procedures are aligned to employment legislation and ready to enforce. Asking employees to call in the morning after the night before is one thing, but having the prospect of sitting down with your manager to discuss an absence may deter absence in the first place.
2. Could you consider adjusting your working times on match days? If you do decide to do this, make sure that your staff know that this is a temporary measure and not a permanent arrangement.
3. Ensure that friendly competition doesn’t go too far. To reduce the risk of grievances, now could be an opportunity to review your anti-harassment and bullying policies, also take the time to make sure your staff are aware of what behaviour will not be accepted at work.
4. Review your IT, social media and email policies. During match days, it’s likely that you’ll see an increase in online access with searches on rugby news. While you may allow your employees to access social media during rest breaks, you want to make sure it doesn’t impact productivity.
5. If you do consider that absence patterns are coinciding with match days are a result of post-match antics and are not genuine illnesses, you should make sure you follow your sickness absence policy and collect as much information from the employee as to the reasons for their absence. If you have clear evidence that an employee is absent after match days, you could consider invoking your disciplinary procedures.

If you do have any concerns or would like to talk about any of the policies mentioned above, reach out to our team on 01252 816644 or info@thekanegroup.co.uk