UK bosses fear World Cup could cost their businesses £1 billion

8 June 2010

UK managers fear that the World Cup could have a significant financial impact on their businesses, potentially costing them up to £1 billion in lost working hours, according to figures published today by CMI (Chartered Management Institute).

The research reveals that more than half (54 per cent) of UK employers are panicking at the thought of their employees being distracted by online coverage of the World Cup throughout June and July. A similar number (53 per cent) think that endless conversations about football will divert employees' attention from the job in hand, while two in five suspect employees will take unauthorised time off to watch games.

While these fears are not surprising given the countless stories about the potential impact of this summer's tournament on organisations, it seems this anxiety is largely unfounded. Those predicting a spike in skiving should perhaps give their employees more credit; only one per cent of those polled by CMI would consider calling in sick to watch an important match. When questioned, 60 per cent of employees also say that work comes first, no matter how their football team is faring, and the vast majority of workers (93 per cent) said that if their team crashed out of the tournament it wouldn't affect their work as it's 'only a game'.

Responding to the survey's findings, Ruth Spellman, chief executive of CMI, said: "The World Cup should not negatively impact business performance. In fact leaders could be missing a trick by dwelling on fears of coping with empty offices all summer. We're convinced it offers some fantastic opportunities to address some of the issues which have plagued UK organisations since the downturn struck – things like waning morale, insecurity and a lack of engagement."

44 per cent of employers see the morale-boosting potential of the tournament and more than a third (36 per cent) believe it could improve working relationships. A quarter think it could provide opportunities to better engage employees with their business, but employers will need to be proactive if they want to turn the tournament to their advantage.

As many of their fears are likely to prove unfounded, CMI is encouraging employers to embrace the World Cup by exploring options including installing screens to watch some games into the workplace and capitalising on the potential of the tournament to team build. A special online survival guide to help employers take practical steps to ensure they reap the benefits of the tournament is available atwww.managers.org.uk/worldcup and provides recommendations on issues such as like initiating flexible working practices and how to make the most of the heightened levels of morale to give working relationships a much needed boost.

Spellman continued: "It's greatly concerning that so many managers have fears around the World Cup. They clearly feel ill equipped to develop appropriate strategies to cope with the problems associated with major sporting events. The fact that more than half of our managers and leaders think that there is nothing they can do to prevent the World Cup from distracting staff or to limit unauthorised absences amplifies the desperate need for improved standards of management and leadership. Better trained and qualified managers would be able to see the World Cup as a great opportunity for engagement, and take proactive measures to manage the situation to get the best out of it."

Professor David Sims of City University London's Cass Business school explained: "People who are fully engaged are likely to be even more alert during the World Cup. Employers who bring screens in to let their staff watch key games are likely to be regarded by people working harder and more effectively for the other six hours of the day. There will also be the bonding experience of watching a game with others who you may not know yet but you have seen around, as you find that they share interests with you. Informal conversations will lead to the formation of new informal networks, shared feelings and greater sympathy; all of these are likely to make the organisation more effective. In short, poor companies where employees are treated as indentured wage slaves will lose, and good companies where employees are engaged will gain."

One company that is planning to make the most of the tournament is Afix Ltd, a foreign currency trading market. During the World Cup, AFIX Ltd is offering flexible working options to employees, giving them the opportunity to take time off to watch matches and make up the hours at a later date.

Afix operations manager Stewart Lancaster said: "The management team decided that there were only two options for employees during the World Cup: block news websites to prevent staff from streaming matches online or give employees a chance to enjoy the matches, and consequently improve staff morale. We chose the latter and now employees are currently arranging events to watch the matches together. When this happens, management will be 'manning the phones' to ensure that the quality of our customer service remains the same. With technology making it so easy for people to get football updates anyway, it would have been unwise deny our employees the chance to enjoy the tournament."

Please view the 'Win, Lose or Draw' report from CMI.

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