Employees likely to pull a sickie after Euro 2016 games

Almost three quarters (73%) of UK Human Resources (HR) Directors believe employees are likely to call in sick or make an excuse for skipping work the day after a major sporting event such as the UEFA Euro 2016, with more than a fifth (21%) considering it ‘very likely’, according to research from Robert Half UK.

With England’s and Wales’ first midweek European Championship fixture on 16 June, companies are likely to be anticipating a significant increase in the number of employees missing work on Friday the 17th as a result of ‘sporting sickies’.

In the Euro league table of ‘sporting sickies’ the UK ranks second only to Germany, where four-in-five (79%) HR Directors believe employees are likely to call in sick or make an excuse for skipping work the day after a major sporting event. In Belgium the figure falls to 69% and in the European Championship host nation France, far fewer HR directors believe employees are likely to skip work, at just 63%.

The level of engagement with the European Championships is evidenced by viewing figures for the final of the 2012 games. Spain’s victory against Italy 4-0 attracted an official television audience of 299 million viewers. When England was knocked out of the last Championships the audience peaked at 23.2 million viewers in the UK.

While some firms are worried about employees missing work to watch matches or recover from celebrations, many businesses are embracing Euro 2016 as an opportunity to engage and motivate employees. HR leaders recognise that hosting company viewings around big sporting spectacles such as the European Championships can deliver real business benefits. A large majority (88%) of HR executives believe there are benefits of using sporting events to engage employees.

Companies see the cohesive benefits of coming together to enjoy a sporting spectacle and emotionally invest in the event. The top benefits identified by HR Directors were increased employee motivation (46%) and increased employee engagement (41%).

Phil Sheridan, UK Senior Managing Director of Robert Half UK comments: “Companies are increasingly recognising the impact an engaged and motivated workforce can have in achieving business goals and positively impacting the bottom line.

“As excitement for the UEFA tournament builds, employers who plan ahead and incorporate the matches into their company events calendar will benefit from an increase in employee morale and job satisfaction. Other activities to consider include flexible work schedules, remote working and late starts to balance work priorities with national pride over the course of the tournament.”