"Managing Singapore's Workforce During The World Cup...The HR
Challenge!"
2010-05-31 12:00
Late night World Cup games in June and July could mean higher
than normal absenteeism and employee fatigue at work in Singapore -
however a little planning and forethought will go a long way
SINGAPORE, May 31 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Every
four years the FIFA World Cup brings people together across the
globe, as they immerse themselves in this spectacular sporting
event. Although the 2010 World Cup in South Africa will bring joy
to many - it is also bringing concern to some employers and the
need for employee planning, scheduling and good
communication.
With the World Cup taking places in cities
across South Africa, such as Durban and Cape Town, the time
difference with Singapore means that games shown live will be
broadcast early in the morning at 2.30am as well as at a more
reasonable 7.30pm and 10.00pm. Whilst some employees will be
sleeping through the live games, a large number will be burning the
midnight oil as they watch live broadcasts and celebrate with
family and friends. The world's biggest single sporting event, The
World Cup Final, will be broadcast at 2.30am on a Monday
morning!
Singaporeans will be rooting for their chosen
nation team, as well as the many expatriates and foreigners working
in Singapore, with backgrounds from all over the world, who will
want to watch their home country in action when matches are
screened. So what can companies in Singapore do to be both 'World
Cup friendly' with their workforce, whilst also ensuring that
employee attendance at work stays on track, that sick leave does
not increase too much and that productivity doesn't drop?
Lynne Ng, Regional Director, Adecco South
East, feels that a balanced approach is required: "It's about
setting clear expectations and communicating as to what is and what
is not appropriate in the workplace during the tournament.
Companies don't want to alienate their workers during the World Cup
by pretending that it's 'business as usual' - as clearly it's not.
Ensuring that employees can enjoy the World Cup in some form or
another will likely be a moral booster and highly appreciated by
the workforce. While every day business is bound to be affected at
some level by late night games, there are steps that can be taken
by human resource managers and departments to keep disruption to a
minimum and to ensure continuity of business. These steps include
flexible working hours, shift swaps, unpaid leave...and a little
understanding".
Adecco offers the following steps that can be
taken to keep businesses running as normally as possible:
1. Liaise with your workforce to understand
their level of interest in
watching late night World Cup games
and their views about the balance
of enjoying the TV coverage while
still performing well at work and
executing their responsibilities.
2. Evaluate workloads and special projects
that need to be completed
during the World Cup period. What
employees are needed to complete
either regular workloads or projects
on tight delivery schedules?
It's essential that companies factor
in that a higher than normal
number of workers may be on leave or
absent from work.
3. Ensure that department heads and
supervisors are talking to one
another about the impact of the
tournament. The cross checking
of holiday requests would be a
beneficial exercise.
4. Many organizations are setting policies
about watching game replays
on the internet or surfing World Cup
related website. Every company
has different measures and controls
in place. It's important that
all employees understand the policies
and procedure in place and
the rationale behind these decisions,
as well as the ramifications
for abuse of the policies.
5. Bring your workforce together for social
gatherings. Although no
live World Cup games are being
broadcast during the regular
9-5 working day, there are still
opportunities for employers to
gather employees for the regular
7.30pm and 10.00pm games. This
can be either in the place or work,
or an outside environment.
In either situation, alcohol
consumption should be controlled.
6. Ensure that all employees are treated
fairly and equally during
the tournament and remember that not
everyone is interested in
this sporting event.
7. Enter into the Spirit of the World Cup!
This is the world's biggest
sporting event and companies can have
some fun with it. Examples
include world cup themed events,
sweepstakes and inter-department
challenges.
Lynne Ng: "The World Cup is not just about
football - it's an event that can captivate and involve those not
even interested in the sport. The event is a great way for
companies in Singapore to show some 'spirit' and flexibility and to
ensure that employees can enjoy the spectacle, whilst still
ensuring that workplace professionalism is maintained".
About Adecco
Adecco S.A. is a Fortune Global 500 company
and the global leader in HR services.
Established in Singapore in 1985 and
celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2010, Adecco Singapore offers a
comprehensive range of services that includes temporary &
contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outsourcing, executive
search, leadership development, career management and
outplacement.
Contact:
Citrus Public Relations
Ian Grundy
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +65-6736-4119
Web: http://www.citrus-pr.com
SOURCE Adecco
