Cheering on the World Cup

The Trades Union Congress in the UK is calling for employers to give staff greater flexibility to support the FIFA Women’s Football World Cup.

It’s not a bad idea, according to Barbara Myers, Associate Professor and HRM specialist at AUT, as organisations taking heed of the call may find they’re rewarded in more ways than one.

Happier staff can make for greater productivity, she says, so embracing the opportunities of a significant event like the World Cup can boost employee wellbeing, goodwill, team-building opportunities and morale.

In the end, it’s better to avoid blanket refusals of time off during events, she says.

“That’s probably not going to go down well at a time we need to get people back into the workplace.”

With time still to run with the Women’s Football World Cup on home ground, the Netball World Cup currently being held in South Africa, and men’s rugby World Cup coming up next month in France, there’s some nervousness around the impact on businesses.

In terms of live sport, Myers points to recent research by Anglia Ruskin University in the UK.

“They sampled 7000 people of all age groups, and found that attending live sporting events has a really positive effect on people's wellbeing and sense of satisfaction,” she says.

Live events offer team-bonding opportunities

It’s more usual for Kiwis to be watching events screened from overseas at less convenient hours, but with the luxury of the Football World Cup on our doorstep, many have embraced the opportunity to attend events in person.

At a time when many organisations have found it harder to encourage people back into the office post-pandemic, supporting a group from the workplace to attend a live event together offers team-bonding opportunities, creates connections, and may engender greater commitment to the workplace, says Myers.

“I remember in the 2018 Football World Cup, there was research that predicted a huge drop in the global GDP for the weeks while people were watching it,” she says. “There is also literature around the fact that the first thing we do is predict lower productivity, short notice sickness and unauthorized leave.”

Instead, we should embrace the opportunities events like the World Cup afford, as there’s every reason to think that enabling staff to be involved by watching games can have very positive impacts on organisations, says Myers.  

“Watching an event on a screen at the workplace needs the employer to be a bit more hands-on than enabling them to take the time to attend in person,” she says.

However, she offers one caution: “If you’re facilitating viewing in the organisation’s building, be aware of people who don’t like sport and may feel disadvantaged because they hadn’t been given an opportunity to follow their interest perhaps.”

It's best for employers to be prepared and proactive

In the lead-up to an event, to avoid potential for difficulties, it’s best for employers to be prepared and proactive, she says.

“They’re much better to be upfront and flexible about it. Decide on what the best approach will be - do you need to provide special facilities or arrangements? Do you need to make more flexible work? Some employers will take a more formal approach but you can put temporary work time arrangements in place and special facilities.

“Just be aware that you're not discriminating against certain groups, and make sure there's a standard of behaviour. Also you might have to pre-empt any kind of disciplinary issues around unauthorised access or excessive internet use, or even harassment of colleagues from other countries that have beaten home teams.”

In a production setting, a room with a screen could be provided for people on organized breaks, she says.

“Much better to get in first and make sure it will have a positive effect on people and make employees aware of the expected standards of behaviour. Taking these steps can have a positive impact on employee morale and avoid them taking matters into their own hands, like ringing in sick suddenly on the day of a big match when you’ve got a really important meeting.

Of course, this workers more easily with the nine-to-five type office situation, says Myers.

“Where I would really encourage employers to think differently is for those who are shift workers - how can you show goodwill to them?”

Creating positive, rather than negatives from the opportunities is all in the planning though.

“There are a lot of companies who may well have policies and practices in place and are doing it quite successfully,” says Myers. “But for those who aren't, it's just about getting their ducks in a row and getting the policy up and running before an event happens.”