With England’s World Cup kick off imminent, Business Link is urging businesses in Herts to ensure they prepare themselves for one of the biggest sporting events of the year.

The tournament will see 570 hours of football screened, with 23 out of the total 64 games planned to take place during traditional business hours.

A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers poll* found that one in four employees is planning to watch the tournament in working hours, highlighting the need for businesses to prepare for key staff members taking holiday leave or requesting flexible working hours.

Roma Bhowmick, Business Link Adviser for Herts, “The World Cup will lead to a number of people wanting time off to enjoy the games. As a result, employers need to prepare for an increase in annual leave requests and the effect this will have on their business. That’s where Business Link comes in. By visiting businesslink.gov.uk/east or calling 08457 17 16 15, employers can get access to a whole host of information on staff employment regulations, leave calculators and flexible working guidelines.

“It’s important to communicate to staff exactly what your plans are for the World Cup - your flexibility and innovation will be welcomed by staff.”

Business Link’s basic game plan for tackling the World Cup

1. Special screenings and events: Employers looking to build team spirit with special match screenings need to remember to keep it legal. To show the World Cup on your business premises you will need three licenses: a TV Licence, PRS (The Performing Rights Society) Licence (call 0800 068 4828) and a PPL (Phonographic Performance Ltd) Licence (call 0207 534 1070).

2. Staff leave: To avoid staff being tempted to take unauthorised leave, consider offering flexibility to workers, such as flexible hours, time-in-lieu, shift swaps and unpaid leave. It’s a good idea to draw up an absence and behaviour policy that can be circulated to staff in advance of games screened during working hours. This should include policies on staff leave, fair play, behaviour, breaks and absence management.

3. TV, Radio and Internet Policy: A clear TV, radio and internet policy avoids any staff confusion regarding the rules of watching or listening to matches at work. Disruption to other staff should be taken into consideration.

4. Business continuity: By creating contingency plans during matches, you can ensure overall service and customer expectations are maintained.

5. Marketing opportunities: Be aware of how the tournament could affect demand for your products and services, and put operational or promotional measures in place to anticipate or counteract these. If looking into marketing opportunities surrounding the tournament, be aware of FIFA’s legal policies regarding the World Cup brand.

For information on introducing flexible working in the workplace, visit: www.businesslink.gov.uk/flexibleworking

For information on planning holiday leave and regulations surrounding employing staff, visit: www.businesslink.gov.uk/employingpeople

For information on managing staff holiday requirements and calculating the amount of holiday an employee is entitled to, visit: www.businesslink.gov.uk/holiday

For more information on the free and impartial services provided by Business Link in the East of England, call 08457 17 16 15 or visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/east.

About Business Link in the East of England:

- Business Link… the place to go for business support

- Business Link provides information, practical advice and support to help people to start, run or grow their businesses

- Our clients fall in to two main categories: - Those running or working in established small and medium sized businesses - Those who want to start their own business

Both client groups can access independent, impartial and, in most instances, free help and support from Business Link in the form of:

- Free one-to-one help from an experienced Business Adviser (established businesses) or Enterprise Awareness Manager (start-ups)

- Workshops and briefings on a range of business subjects such as business planning, sales and marketing, legislation, developing people

- Telephone and online support through our Regional Information and Intelligence centre Business Link East works with businesses and entrepreneurs in the 6 counties in the East of England: Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk

Business Link is a government initiative to promote enterprise, funded in the East of England by the East of England Development Agency

T 08457 17 16 15 E info@businesslinkeast.org.uk www.businesslink.gov.uk/east

References

*Poll from PricewaterhouseCoopers March 2010. This poll surveyed over 2000 consumers on the subject of the World Cup 2010.