Football sickies may be on the wane, according to a new survey of UK employers and employees conducted by CV-Library, the UK’s third largest job board – but that could provide new challenges for employers.
World Cup fever is set to collide with the workplace this summer, but rather than reaching for excuses, nearly three-quarters (74%) of UK workers say they’ll simply tell their employer the truth if football affects their attendance or productivity.
As the nation prepares for late-night kick-offs, just 2% of employees admit they’ll consider pulling a sickie the following day after watching matches during this year’s tournament.
However, their honesty may not be rewarded with much flexibility. Despite the tournament’s unsociable kick-off times, only 14% of employers plan to allow late start times the following morning, while just 12% would permit employees to work from home. More than a third (35%) expect staff to stick to business as usual throughout the five-week tournament.
The findings suggest workers are swapping excuses for planning ahead. Almost a quarter (23%) say they will use annual leave to catch key matches and avoid those dreaded football hangovers the next day.
Although workers appear willing to play by the rules, many still hope employers will meet them halfway. More than half (55%) say World Cup flexibility would make an employer more attractive, while 46% would value flexible or adjusted working hours during the tournament.
A further 37% would like the option to make up time later, while 34% would welcome matches being shown in the workplace (useful for night shift workers).
Rob Long, Chief of Staff at CV-Library said: “For years, major sporting events like the World Cup have warned about a spike in sick days and lost productivity. But our research suggests the traditional sickie may finally be heading for the bench.
Instead, workers admit they’ll be upfront if a late-night match leaves them a little worse for wear the next morning. That might cause a different headache for employers though especially as many are not planning to offer much flexibility. The challenge for employers is deciding how to respond.”
