HR Top Tips: FIFA World Cup 2022.

The start of the Qatar World Cup is days away, but it’s not too late to give thought to how your organisation should approach it and communicate with staff about it. Here are some top tips for your HR team on how to handle the FIFA World Cup 2022.

For a few reasons this year’s tournament stands out from others:

• It’s the first to be held during the northern hemisphere’s winter. The tournament was moved to November to protect the athletes and attendees from the Qatari summer heat, which can reach 50 degrees centigrade.
• It is the first to be hosted in the Middle East.
• It is the first in nearly 100 years to be held almost entirely in one city.
• Both England and Wales have qualified, and both are in group B.
• It has been showered in controversy from the outset – from bribery to poor human rights records and Qatar’s law against being openly LGBTQ+.

So, besides concerns of increased absenteeism, possible spikes in annual leave requests and potential lower productivity, HR teams need to be more sensitive to the particular nuances and controversies circling the Qatar World Cup.

What can you do ensure your employees are happy and your organisation runs smoothly during this World Cup?

• Introduce Flexible Working

Introducing temporary flexible working for the duration of the World Cup is a great way to thank and engage staff while bringing a very tangible opportunity to promote flexible working policies.

There is huge goodwill to be gained from accommodating flexible working requests, for example, when England kicks off its first match on 21^st November at 1pm UK time, you could offer flexible working so employees interested in the football can start and finish early.

Where there is a strong interest in football among employees, enable them to arrange cover and take turns to see key matches live.

• Watching at work – internet, social media and devices

Putting screens up in workplaces, for example in a rest area, or allowing online viewing are relatively easy ways to give office-based employees access to the games in real time.

You might also allow radio commentary or let employees follow scores on work on computers, or on their own devices. If you have an IT policy which governs the use of devices and social media, then remind employees about those rules and advise them of any temporary World Cup adjustments. If you do not have such a policy, decide on appropriate rules and communicate them to your people.

Additionally, do consult with IT and check that your systems can cope with everyday business activity as well as multiple devices streaming the matches.

• Annual Leave

Decide how to deal with additional holiday requests. Your normal policy is most likely based on a first come first served basis, but how do you deal with holiday requests at other times of high demand, like Christmas? Do you ask employees to take turns? Be guided by your existing policies but do also consider how you can relax them, for example by requiring less notice than usual, if it doesn’t impact work.

• Absence Management

You should communicate your absence management policy to staff so they’re aware of reporting procedures and then conduct return to work interviews for those taking time off sick. Employees are less likely to take time off for a match if they know absence is being monitored.

If, having communicated your absence policy, an employee still takes the time off sick when there is a key match, arrange a return-to-work discussion as soon as they return. This discussion would be to establish the reasons for their absence and if you have reasonable grounds to believe their sickness was not genuine, disciplinary action may be appropriate.

• Discrimination and harassment

Remember that not everyone in your workplace will support England or Wales. Avoid any potential arguments about unfairness by applying the same rules about time off to people who support different nations.

Also be aware of the potential effect of ‘friendly’ banter if people are watching the matches at work. What one employee considers a jokey comment might make another employee feel harassed, especially if someone is making comments about people or players from different nations. Make it clear to employees at the outset that they are expected to behave in an appropriate way during work hours. Remind staff that your Equal Opportunities policy will continue to apply during matches.

Particularly with this World Cup, be aware that some individuals or groups, for example, members of the LGBTQ+ community, may feel alienated or even angry that Qatar was chosen to host the tournament. As such it is important to communicate that all workplace World Cup events are optional.

• Alcohol

Some employers are happy for staff to have a glass of wine over lunch but in some workplaces it’s a complete no-no. If you have a policy on drinking or being under the influence of alcohol during office hours, now is the time to reiterate it so staff are clear on the rules. There may be workplaces where drinking is a health and safety issue, so it is worth reminding staff that breaking the rules may result in disciplinary action.

If you can’t beat them, join them!

Employers can win a goal full of goodwill by being as flexible as possible during the World Cup.

It is a tournament which can bring together people from different backgrounds and nations – watching a match can become a cost-effective, accidental team building exercise, increasing morale and motivating the team, particularly if your organisation has chosen not to have a Christmas event this year due to escalating costs. So, embrace it where you can, organise a sweepstake, celebrate diversity and make an event of it!

If any points mentioned in this blog are concerning you and you need some advice on protecting your business from disruption, or you would like assistance with your policies, please get in touch.