Avoid own goals during World Cup, says EEF

Employers and employees in the south west are being urged to play fair during the forthcoming World Cup (June 11-July 11). EEF, which represents manufacturers, says that the tournament is a great opportunity for raising morale but that effective planning is needed to avoid potential business own goals. “With over 32 different nations taking part, there will be many national loyalties and it is vital that everyone is treated consistently and fairly,” says Hywel Lucas, HR & Legal Leader for EEF in the south west. EEF has produced a guide to tackle possible employment difficulties during the event: Teamwork – employers should communicate their expectations clearly, with staff forums or trade union, to agree how any unauthorised absences will be dealt with. Maintaining squad numbers – because of the likely increase in holiday requests for days or shifts that coincide with important games, employers should consider setting limits on the number of employees who will be allowed to take holiday at any one time to ensure operations are not disrupted. If demand is high, consider running a lottery system. Team Tactics – consider making screen facilities available so that employees can watch key games in the workplace, but ensure that the appropriate broadcasting licence and rights are in place. Flexible line-up – think about allowing employees to work flexibly around key matches. And if someone takes a ‘dive’ - making a false sickness claim, especially where employees are entitled to contractual sick pay, is essentially defrauding the company and can amount to gross misconduct. Comments Hywel Lucas: “Employers should be realistic and upfront about both the company’s and employees’ expectations. Seek employee input about what is desirable as well as feasible and make sure that all employees are aware of what is expected of them. Ends Media enquiries to: Philip Colley, Harvest. Tel: 023 9244 9655/ 07785 306378 Hywel Lucas, EEF. Tel: 0117 906 4816 / 07554 457819 Note to editors EEF EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, is the representative voice of manufacturing in the UK. It has a growing membership of almost 6,000 companies of all sizes, employing some 900,000 people from every sector of engineering, manufacturing, engineering construction and technology-based industries. The EEF South West Region provides support for member companies across south west England and the south of Wales. It has offices in Bristol and Bridgend. The organisation exists for the benefit of its members and focuses on supporting and enhancing business activity by employing acknowledged experts in HR & employment law, health safety and environment, information and research and business improvement.

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