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The World Cup is On & I Have to Work?!?? Tips to Help Employers & Employees


We all know what time it is.  Every four years, for a couple weeks, the World Cup comes around.  With that, comes the inevitable crush of employees who now want to take time off work, whether it be vacation days or "sick" days to watch the matches.  For those employees who do come to work, many stream the matches on their computers, phones, tablets, etc. during the day.  Unsurprisingly, this leads to a decline in work production.  The question then becomes, what can be done to combat this?

Some employers take a hard nosed approach and block any websites that employees could access to watch or listen to the matches, ban the use of employee phones or tablets at work, etc.  However, no one wants to work for the employer who yells at employees for watching the matches (or checking scores) or makes it his/her mission to catch employees in the act.  

The key thing is for employers to set expectations up front with employees.  Employers might be better served by reminding employees at the outset that while some leeway may be allowed, there is an expectation of consistent work output that is required to be met while the employees are at work.  A few things employers could consider doing:  


  • Remind employees that any absences will be deducted from vacation or sick days.  Ensure that this is consistent though.  
  • Do not require additional verifications (beyond what is normally required) when an employee calls in sick.  For instance, if a simple phone call or e-mail is acceptable when an employee is out sick, do not now begin requiring a doctor's note, a phone call from the physician, etc. when suspecting an employee is actually at home watching the World Cup.  Remain consistent.  
  • Be flexible:  Employees who are watching a match or checking scores are temporarily distracted while the match is on.  "Gently" nudging employees to get back to their work allows employers to remind employees that while they may want to watch a match, there are expectations for what they should be doing at work. 
  • Let employees take a lunch break at a different time than normal so the employee can watch a particular match during their break.
  • If there is a particularly big match (i.e. a US game or a semi-final game), consider ordering some pizzas and allowing the employees to watch in the conference room.  This is a good opportunity to turn the event into a team building activity, since many of the employees in all likelihood would not be working during the game anyways.  Having a designated time to watch could be the employers way of reminding employees that while they can take a break while the match is on, before and after the match, they are required to be working.
  • Allow employees to start work earlier or later or even allow them to switch shifts with other workers. 


Now excuse me while I close my office door and watch a World Cup match in my office.


Special thanks to Suzanne Lucas for additional thoughts and comments on the topic:  http://www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/the-world-cup-is-on-should-you-be-watching.html

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