Business News

July 2011

Advice on offer as Rugby World Cup kicks off

The Government has issued advice to employers on maintaining productivity and keeping staff engaged during the Rugby World Cup later this year.

Guidance on the Business Link website says that with the event kicking off on 9 September 2011, employers may be wondering how to manage an increase in:

• annual leave requests
• sickness absence
• poor performance.

The advice provides links to a number of appropriate Business Link guides on different issues that might arise. It also points out that according to Acas, staying flexible will help to maintain productivity and keep employees engaged.

Business Link also points out: "During the event, you might see an increase in use of Facebook, Twitter and other websites, including the official Rugby World Cup website.

"To help you manage this, you need to have a clear policy on internet use at work. You need to say what is and is not acceptable. However, if you are monitoring workers' internet use, data protection regulations require you to let staff know this is happening."

LINK: Rugby World Cup guidance