Overview

The World Cup starts on 11 June 2010 and, with many already predicting massive losses to businesses due to unauthorised staff absences, it is essential employers take pro-active steps to ensure absenteeism is kept to a minimum.

Although the England fixtures in the group stage should not cause too many problems (with only one match being on a week day during normal working hours) it is likely that, as the competition progresses, employers will see an increase in unauthorised absences from employees, either as a result of wanting to watch a match or to recover from the celebrations the night before.

During this time, it is important for employers to remember that there is a huge amount of goodwill that can be gained by accommodating employee requests to follow matches. Especially given the recent economic downturn, offering flexible options to employees is an excellent way to thank and engage staff in an otherwise difficult time.