IT’S COMING HOME! But what does that mean for employers?

If you didn’t know that England are through to the UEFA Euro Final, then where have you been?!

Whilst this might be great news and uplifting for the whole country (it makes a change from reading Covid related articles anyway!), where does it leave employees who might celebrate a little too hard on Sunday evening?

Whilst most people will be sat in pubs enjoying the celebrations with a beer or two, we also need to consider those that are not fortunate to have the time off work.

Below are some helpful tips that employers can take to help protect their staff but also keep their business ticking over.

The big game

There’s hardly anyone in the country that won’t be watching the Final on Sunday evening – after all, it’s the first time we’ve made it this far in a competitive tournament in 55 years!! BUT, how can employers stop those working on Sunday evening from pulling a cheeky sicky so they can watch the game too?

Well, ultimately this might be tricky, but as an employer, there are a couple of things that you can do as one-offs. Try and think slightly out of the box…are you able to either set up a tv or radio to show the game? Obviously, anything you do has to work for the business, but you’d be surprised how much employees will appreciate this 90 minute gesture if you’re able to (because let’s face it…. we definitely don’t want penalties!)

Heavy-head Monday

Those lucky enough not to be at work Sunday evening, may well be feeling the effects on Monday morning and this shouldn’t come as too much of a shock to employers. So, what can you do to keep your employees safe and your business running smoothly?

Booking holidays

Are you prepared to face an influx of holiday requests for Monday? If the Semi-Finals are anything to go by, there will be some big celebrations Sunday evening. Conscious employees might have the foresight to book Monday off (rather than pulling a sicky) so as an employer, you need to make sure that you have a system in place for dealing with those bookings.

Make sure that you deal with requests fairly; will they be on a first come first served basis throughout the whole business, or will you look at staffing levels in individual teams? Either way, try and avoid any discrimination or favouritism when dealing with requests.

Warnings

It is never going to be acceptable for employees to turn up either still drunk, or with alcohol still in their system. Not only do you need to think about the safety of your employees whilst they’re on your premises, but think about how they get to work? If they drive, and they’ve had a few drinks the night before, are they going to be over the drink drive limit?

Depending on your business, employees with alcohol still in their system could have catastrophic consequences, for example if they use heavy machinery.

Ideally, you should send out a staff wide warning confirming that if there is any doubt that the employee is not fit for work, then they cannot and should not attend the premises.

Sickness

It’s a given – regardless of the score, you’re going to have a higher than usual sickness absence on Monday! Those working from home might be in a better position to hide their self-inflicted/celebratory drinking related sickness and hangovers, but what about those that need to turn up to the workplace?

If you’re concerned that there will be an influx of sickness calls, it might be worth reminding employees that any absence on Monday morning will be investigated, and the appropriate action will be taken.

Perhaps you could offer a reward for the most creative sickness excuse?!

If you would like any advice on how to deal with any of the potential repercussions of England winning (we have to keep positive), please get in touch with a member of the Employment team on 01752 292201.