- The World Cup is famously bad for productivity in offices across the world.
- In some countries, a fifth of employees don't show up for work when the national team is playing.
- South African employers can safeguard themselves against absenteeism, while also using the event as a team-building opportunity.
The 2018 FIFA Russia World Cup starts this week and, across the world, employers are likely to be nervous. The event is associated with declines in productivity and sharp increases in absenteeism. In past World Cups, surveys in the Netherlands and the UK showed that on national match days, up to a fifth of employees didn't show up.
South Africa is also likely to see an increase in absenteeism during the event, says Portia Mahlalela, who heads Alexander Forbes' unit for health consultancy.
Employers can protect themselves against productivity losses in various ways, but should also use this period to show goodwill towards staff, she adds.
Here are six ways for businesses to ensure minimal disruption during the World Cup:
1. Set expectations
2. Use it as a team-building opportunity
We have this competition at work where you pick a country (random) if my team loose severely, I win. Or if they do decent, I win. My only incentive to watch the World Cup ??
— amaal (@amaal_omj) June 12, 2018
It’s the perfect game for sore losers like myself. You win money if your team has the dirtiest player, the team who scores the most, the losers, and there’s a couple more I forgot
— amaal (@amaal_omj) June 12, 2018
We are having our own World Cup tournament at work which means picking no countries and then making mascots and playing games such as human table football. The winners of the whole tournament will win a inflatable trophy!
— PieMinisterGirl (@PieMinisterGirl) June 6, 2018
3. Viewing areas
Watching #worldcup at work. Do I work for an awesome company? Yes, yes I do. http://t.co/hH91EBUnJI pic.twitter.com/q4eRRVFebp
— Ian Sherr ?? E3 (@iansherr) June 26, 2014
Watching the @EASPORTSFIFA #FIFAeClubWorldCup at work and packed this for world cup mode earlier!!! Thanks guys! pic.twitter.com/X6H5dFkL2q
— Zach Stanley (@Zman279) May 29, 2018
We're realllllly good at pretending to work while watching the #USAvsGermany game. #worldcup pic.twitter.com/Zh8bnnWeMi
— Carmichael Lynch (@carmichaellynch) June 26, 2014
4. Flexible working hours and leave
Allow for flexible working hours – especially for the days after late-night games. Make sure that employees are aware that they need to take and coordinate annual leave during this time well in advance.
5. Stick to company policy about absenteeism during the event, no exceptions
If your company does experience a high incidence of absenteeism during this period, company processes would need to be applied, Mahlalela adds.
6. Make arrangements with off-site workers
It is important to communicate clearly expectations of teams that mainly work offsite, like sales employees, to mitigate absences and reduced productivity.
More on the World Cup
Receive a single WhatsApp message every morning with all our latest news: Sign up here.
See also:
- Drive-thrus are worth 40% more than mall stores for Burger King in South Africa – at least until the economy turns
- This is the average age of South African home buyers – and it is much older than a decade ago
- Scientists are shocked at the sudden death of most of Africa’s largest baobabs
- At R50 for 1 gig, this is SA’s cheapest data network. It took us 6 minutes to sign up
