World Cup 2018: Come on bosses, time to step up your game
It’s the greatest show on earth – and many of us are missing it because of work.
Today bosses are being urged to embrace the World Cup by allowing staff to watch key games and organising football-related team-building events.
While most of us will be at home or in the pub watching tonight’s England opener against Tunisia, other games are being screened as early as 11am.
Today the TUC has published guidelines advising workers of where they stand if they want to watch televised matches during work hours.
And union bosses have urged employers to avoid conflict by giving their staff time to watch some of the games. They say the event can even boost morale, with events like football shirt days or through sweepstakes.
Some companies have banned certain celebrations of the world cup all together. The Royal Mail has been branded ‘petty’ and ‘unpatriotic’ for banning postal workers from hanging flags on their delivery vans during the World Cup.
It is not a stance supported by Sol Distribution in Oswestry, where bosses are embracing the event. The company, run by Graeme Sutton is an IT distributor helping to set up data centres all over the world.
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His band of around 10 staff will be able to enjoy the tournament during work hours, with TVs being rolled out.
He said: “We’re embracing it really, we’ve got a few TVs that have been put in to let the staff enjoy the games.
“The England games are on at night, but for some games in the day we will have the TVs on so people can watch.
“It just creates a good atmosphere in the office and hopefully England can do well.” Craig Marston, who runs Ke-Design architects has put a projector up in the office for staff to watch games, and has even decorated Welsh staff’s computers with England bunting.
He said: “Along with the standard sweep stake, from which I hold no hope with drawing Japan, we will be keeping an eye on it by using the office projector and projecting the games onto the wall. A couple of our staff are Welsh so we’ve decorated their computers with England bunting.
“If England makes it to the final I’ve said I will give everyone the day off to watch.”
Kevin Battams, of M. Battams Butchers in Oswestry, is playing his part in the World Cup, with England burgers being made up for customers.
He said: “A few of the lads are planning barbecues for the England games, and in the shop we will have special England burgers, with streaky bacon across to show the flag. We’ve had a sweepstake involving the drivers who drop stuff off, and we will have the radio to catch all the World Cup games in the day.”
