Member Article

Deminos advises employers to avoid employment law 'own goal'

Neil Atkinson, managing director of the Gateshead-based firm, is advising employers to make fair and balanced arrangements, to accommodate employees who want to watch World Cup games this summer.

Although the majority of England’s group games will be shown outside of working hours, the final match is be played towards the end of the working day on Tuesday, 24 June.

Mr Atkinson said: “The whole process of dealing with employees, who wish to watch World Cup games, needs to be handled with care to guard against any employment law issues.

“Employers need to bear in mind England games aren’t the only games people will want to watch. Increasingly diverse workforces mean that staff will want to watch a wide range of national teams, so adopting a policy of granting time-off requests only for England matches could give rise to claims of racial discrimination.

“Remember, of course, that there is no legal requirement to give employees time off to watch matches (or other sporting events); this is entirely up to employers’ discretion, whilst prioritising the needs of the business.” “If an employer adopts a ‘business as usual’ approach, then employees may submit holiday requests, to be approved in the normal way. “Also, not everyone has an interest in football, so consideration should be given to the impact on other colleagues, where an employer may wish to accommodate some requests to join in any World Cup activities.”

He added: “In some working environments, it may be possible to allow employees to leave early to watch the matches, and then for them to make this time up by working longer, or by starting earlier the next day. Another idea would be for employers, if appropriate, to screen the matches at work or allow staff to listen to the games on the radio.

“This would particularly suit those involved in shift work, but employers should ensure that the broadcasting of any games won’t cause any conflicts or distractions when, for example, operating machinery in factory-based work, which could cause health and safety issues. If opting to screen at work, do set aside a separate room or area for those wanting to watch the football, as it’s important that those who do not want to tune in, can get on with their work.

“It’s vital that business owners should take a fair and balanced approach and advise staff on what their policies are and, above all, ensure all employees are treated equally.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Deminos .