Firms’ inflexibility set to fuel World Cup absenteeism

The
CIPD says the majority of UK workplaces are being inflexible over allowing
their staff to watch England’s game with Argentina.

The
new CIPD survey, Getting a Kick out of Work, finds that 30 per cent of
organisations are providing on-site television, 16 per cent are allowing
internet access, and just 15 per cent of organisations are planning to allow
employees time off to watch either all or some of the games. 

This
is despite a call from Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt saying
staff should be allowed to watch the match wherever possible, making up the
time later. "The last thing they (employers) need is the entire workforce
taking a sickie on the day of a big match," she said.

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CIPD
assistant director general Duncan Brown, said: "There is limited
flexibility over the World Cup, an approach which may backfire given that we
already know a third of absence is not genuine."

By Quentin Reade