This roundup examines the workplace impact of the UEFA 2024 football competition and offers strategies to manage potential productivity and absenteeism issues. Additionally, it covers workplace temperature regulations and employer responsibilities during extreme weather, along with considerations for return-to-office mandates that some companies are implementing.
UEFA Euros 2024
In June, the UEFA 2024 football competition began in Germany, with dozens of national football teams from across Europe competing to win the trophy. With football being one of if not the most popular sport to watch in the UK, there was no doubt that many employees across all types of businesses were eager to watch and track the competition matches of the team they support. However, with many matches occurring on weekdays, with some starting as early as 2pm, there was the possibility that football fans’ productivity levels could drop in anticipation of or during the match. There was also the chance that some employees may have taken unauthorised absences in order to watch matches that show during their normal working hours, or turned up late if they were celebrating a game from the previous day or evening.
So what can businesses learn from the UEFA 2024 competition about how to navigate similar events in the future to prevent drops in productivity levels and increases in absences?
- Flexible working: Flexible working hours – or flexitime – to allow employees to watch major games and make up the time later can be one way to prevent them from doing so secretly, which is especially important for remote workers. If this is not a feasible option for your organisation, employers are likely to experience an increase in leave requests or employees taking “sick days” from those eager to watch the games and celebrate them. You can track this type of activity via an absence management system, and make it easier to predict employees who may do this again in the future or to help with any required disciplinary procedures should this be a reoccurring theme.
- Robust Policies: Whether it’s watching a game during work hours or inappropriate behaviour outside of work as a result of celebrations, your policy should include an employee code of conduct and outline the consequences for any breaches. Handling misconduct or gross misconduct in the workplace requires a fair and proper procedure, and neglecting to do so can increase the risk of unfair or wrongful dismissal rulings should a disgruntled ex-employee take it to tribunal.
- Engagement with the game: Businesses with many fans as employees may wish to consider some UEFA-based activities to encourage colleague interaction and collaboration during the event. For example, a business may wish to conduct a watching party for a particular match outside of working hours or host a UEFA-themed quiz with small prizes for winning teams or participants.
Hot weather in the office
As temperatures hit up to 30°C in June, the question that comes every heatwave in the UK arose: at what temperature is it “too hot” to be in the workplace?
The legal answer is that there is no “maximum working temperature” for employees in the UK, nor is there a “minimum working temperature” either. However, health and safety guidance states that a reasonable temperature for employees working should be at least 16°C, or 13°C should the job be physically intensive.
Despite this, by law, employers have a duty of care to ensure that workplace temperatures are reasonable, including for employees working from home. Therefore, if extreme weather is anticipated, such as a heatwave, employers should take steps to ensure staff health and safety.
Potential measures include:
- Conducting health and safety risk assessments considering extreme weather or temperatures and addressing any identified risks. Keep in mind that these assessments are legally required to be carried out for female employees of child-bearing age, including those who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have just given birth. It must also include staff with disabilities or health conditions which may be affected by extreme temperatures.
- Relaxing dress codes to allow more weather-appropriate clothing, such as permitting coats during cold weather or t-shirts when it’s hot.
- Providing suitable equipment or facilities to mitigate the effects of weather, such as air conditioning units in warm conditions or portable heaters during colder periods.
- Allowing additional breaks for staff to get hot or cold drinks or to cool down outside in the shade.
- Considering that weather conditions may affect employees’ commutes, and responding appropriately if this causes delays.
Return to Work and Hybrid-working policies
A Skillshub study last month revealed resistance to mandatory return-to-office policies, with many employees valuing the flexibility and well-being benefits of remote work. It also revealed that nearly 43% of UK employees would consider quitting their job if forced back to the office full-time, and 18% would consider leaving even with hybrid models requiring office presence three or more days a week. Despite this, many employers such as Manchester United and Barclays Bank have recently mandated a full-time return to the office.
The Skillshub study highlights the mixed impacts of both office and remote-working has on productivity, career progression opportunities, and personal wellbeing, so it is important for employers to maintain a balanced approach when considering making changes to any remote or flexible-working policies. It is also vital for employers to review their employees’ contracts and working agreements before making any business-wide decisions to ensure that there are no discrepancies or clashes with any terms of employment.
Another aspect of this process to keep in mind is the newly introduced law that allows employees to request flexible working arrangements from day one of employment – and these requests can relate to the location of work (such as a request to work from home). Therefore, it is important to factor this right for employees when thinking of making any changes to existing workplace location policies.
