World Cup an 'ideal opportunity' for flexible working

The 2010 football World Cup presents the perfect opportunity for firms to introduce flexible working procedures for their employees, specialist recruitment consultancy IntaPeople has suggested.

This year’s World Cup, hosted by South Africa, will get underway today. However, with employee absenteeism typically high during the tournament, many companies are already concerned about the impact it could have on their business.

In light of the high number of sick days, or ‘sickies’, seen by companies over previous World Cup periods, IntaPeople has drawn attention to the importance of taking an open approach to the issue.

Stephen Riley, Director at IntaPeople, said: “Instead of viewing the World Cup as a potential pitfall, firms should treat it as an ideal opportunity to provide flexible working options to their employees. We work with a number of companies that are reaping the rewards of taking this kind of approach.

“Allowing workers to leave work a little earlier and then make up the time at a later date is one good option. Offering them a short period of unpaid leave is another.

“The benefits of taking an open approach are manifold; as a company, you don’t have to worry about key workers calling in sick at the last minute, while as an employee, you are likely to remember that you’ve been treated well by your employer.”

Earlier this week, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) revealed that UK employees notched up a staggering 180 million sick days last year, averaging 6.4 days per worker.