A summer of sport, the HR nightmare

The Euros are in full swing with England playing tonight having already reached the knockout stages. With an air optimism swirling and the usual debate around whether or not football is coming home, it can be easy to overlook the many workplace issues that can arise whenever there is a major sporting event.  

As with any major tournament, since the Euros kicked off, HR teams across the country have found themselves inundated with holiday requests, unauthorised absences, and heated discussions to manage.

The statistics don’t lie. Whenever there is a major sporting event – such as an England football match – employers see a sharp increase in unauthorised absences the next day.

In the 2022 Qatar World Cup our sister company, BrightHR, recorded an 111% increase in the number of people who called in sick when England played the USA in the group stages.

To give this some perspective, that’s an additional 50,000 employees who allegedly got sick while watching the football than on the average working day…..

Aside from increased absences, employers also need to account for the heated debate that football always brings, as if political discussions weren’t enough! Whether you're English, Serbian, or Swiss everyone is gunning for their nation to lift the Euros trophy or take gold in Paris but for some, this rivalry can go too far.

Whenever there is a particular sporting allegiance or international rivalry, some die-hard supporters can take conversations too far, crossing the line from professional discussion into offensive comments. In extreme cases we have even seen fights arise from such situations.

It’s important to ensure this line doesn’t get crossed, and all employees are comfortable in the workplace without anyone feeling uncomfortable.

Employers also need to ensure they don’t get swept up in only supporting the Three Lions. Workplaces are multicultural, so make sure to include all nations and let everyone dream the dream and celebrate the success of their home nation.

At Peninsula we decorate our offices with flags of all the nations competing, rather than just the English flag. This is a way to bring everyone together and encourage healthy competition, celebrating the tournament as a whole. Remember the Olympic spirit of uniting the nations through sport and look to bring everyone together in your workplace!

To ensure that employees don’t miss out on any of the sporting fun some businesses choose to show games and tournaments in the workplace, if reasonably practical without causing too much of a distraction.

With many matches during the Euros having a 5pm kickoff, some employees will be watching the clock, desperate to get out of work and in front of a TV. Some businesses may opt to make an evening of it with a staff social, getting some beers and pizza in, and having a good old team bonding session.

Remember, any social event organised by the employer has the same behavioural expectations as at work. And make sure that any incentives you offer don’t eat into productivity; after all, the main reason to be at work is to work. If employees are desperate to watch any sporting events then they should plan their time off accordingly.

It's great that sport ignites such passion but there is a serious side too. Passion can often spill over into violence, and statistics show a sharp increase in domestic violence following an England loss.

Although we hope this isn’t something anyone has to deal with, employers should be alert to this, and make sure you have the correct provisions in place should you be aware of any incidents happening.  It’s key that this is handled sensitively.

With the Olympics a short hop away in Paris, it's likely you'll have employees travelling to enjoy the Games. French air traffic controllers have agreed not to strike until after the Olympics and Paralympics have finished, but be aware of any other travel disruptions that may arise.

Put the right measures in place ahead of time so we can all sit back and enjoy the competition!