World cup fever is about to erupt in a fervent frenzy... signs of spontaneous outbreaks are cropping up all over the UK... cars, pubs, clothes shops and even supermarkets are sporting the tell-tale red and white rashes and sales of super-sized television sets are soaring skyward...

Which is all fabulous fun.. and why not... but there is a serious side especially the impact something like this has on businesses.  Being the referee is never an easy thing to do but by playing fair and laying down some solid ground rules Suzy Jowitt of HR Help believes you can cut the absenteeism and gain respect by playing firm but fair.

Plan Ahead:

Strike a balance between the those who want to watch football - whatever team they are supporting - and those that don’t.  Know what is going so you know when to expect problems and plan for all eventualities with matches scheduled at 12.30, 15.00 and 17.30 UK time.

Try to be:

• Flexible, where possible - maybe altering start and finish times or allowing longer lunch break. You must balance the needs of your whole workforce including those who don't have an interest in football.
• Be clear about what you expect from employees - in terms of attendance and performance. Managing employees expectations of what might be possible is key to keeping them on-side
• Communicative - talk to each other now about the World Cup and how you hope to manage leave and working hours in these exceptional circumstances.
• Open and honest - if you cannot accommodate any changes to your work practices then say so.
• Fair - you need to be seen to be fair about the way you respond to requests for time off and avoid favouritism - don't forget to ensure those people who do not wish to get involved in football are not in some way treated differently as a consequence, such as those with caring responsibilities, for example.

Suzy is an HR Specialist and can help in every aspect of getting the most from your workforce and can be contacted at www.hrhelp.org.uk

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