MEDIA RELEASE PR39774
"Managing Singapore's Workforce During The World Cup...The HR Challenge!"
SINGAPORE, May 31 /PRNewswire-Asia-AsiaNet/ --
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
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: ian.grundy@citrus-pr.com
Tel: +65-6736-4119
SOURCE: Adecco
NEWS 
