THE RIO OLYMPICS ARE APPROACHING…WHAT SHOULD EMPLOYERS DO TO PREPARE?

The countdown to the Olympics is now in earnest with the opening ceremony just a few days away. Over the coming weeks 306 events are scheduled to be held in Rio. If they have not done so already employers should be considering the potential effects of this four yearly event on their business.  A key priority is ensuring employee attendance. Unlike the 2012 Games in London, few employees will have tickets, but many will intend to watch the Rio Games on the television or internet.

What can employers do to prepare?

• Decide on a policy for dealing with annual leave requests during the period the Games are on.  If the normal holiday request procedure is to apply, employers should remind employees of this.  If new procedures are to be put in place which simply cover the period the Games run for, highlight these to employees and ensure they are applied consistently.

• Issue a general reminder of the absence notification/management procedures. That reminder to include a warning that employees could be subject to disciplinary procedures if they are not genuinely sick but provide sickness as the reason for their absence.  Absence levels should be closely monitored to enable the early identification of any high levels of sickness absence.

• Flexible working may be a consideration which may enable employees to come in later or finish earlier. Considerations can also be given to whether employees can be permitted to swap shifts. Any flexible working arrangements should be carefully handled and recorded to ensure consistency of treatment and to ensure they run for the duration of the Games only.

• Consider making available a television in a communal area to permit employees to view the Games at work.  This could offer an alternative to employees tempted to either “pull a sickie” to watch the games or to view them at work on the internet.  A number of employees simultaneously watching the games via an internet connection could cause disruption and negatively impact business continuity.  If making a communal television available, employers should highlight that employees will be expected to make up the time spent viewing the Games.

• There may be an increased use of Social Media such as Facebook or Twitter or websites covering the Games. Employers should ensure that they have a clear policy regarding web use setting out that monitoring will take place, what use is permitted and what the likely sanctions are for a breach of the policy.

In summary…

In aiming for business continuity, it makes sense for employers to be:

• Flexible – in altering working hours to accommodate viewing
• Clear – in relation to expectations of leave requests, absence and performance
• Communicative – discuss these matters with employees as soon as possible and continue to remind them of policies as the Games approach
• Fair and Consistent  - in particular with respect to the way in which requests for time off are dealt with

Contact Details

If you would like more information or advice on business continuity planning for the Games, absence management or disciplinary procedures please contact:

fgmedia@fgsolicitors.co.uk

+44 (0) 808 172 93 22

This update is for general guidance only and does not constitute definitive advice.