With several high profile sporting events clashing on the same day, the 8th July is set to be Britain’s most unproductive day this summer, new research by HR & payroll provider Moorepay has revealed.
Wimbledon, the British Formula 1 Grand Prix practice sessions and the Tour de France all take place during working hours on Friday 8th July and, following one of the EURO 2016 semi-finals the previous day, absences will spike while productivity is set to plummet, warns Moorepay.
One-third of the UK workforce is planning on watching these sporting events while at work, with one in six (17 per cent) admitting that their productivity will drop as a result. Business owners, on the other hand, are underestimating the impact these events will have on their staff, with three-quarters (79%) believing productivity in their company will be unaffected.
With, on average, 10 per cent of staff on leave any given week throughout July and August, and nearly one in ten employees planning on calling in sick to watch sporting events, businesses will face staff shortages and prolonged dips in productivity this summer.
“It’s important for UK companies of all sizes to consider the most appropriate way of managing the busy summer of sporting events in 2016,” said Alison Dodd, managing director of Moorepay. “The impact of lower employee engagement, absence, and loss of focus in the current business climate could be devastating for business performance, particularly among SMEs.”
Worryingly, over two-thirds of businesses (69%) currently don’t have a clear policy in place that allows their employees to watch these sporting events while at work. Overall, male employees will be twice as unproductive as their female co-workers this summer (22 per cent against 12 per cent).
“Planning ahead, and reviewing or implementing flexible working policies over this period is one way employers can not only mitigate any potential losses in productivity but also bolster employee engagement by considering the needs of both parties,” Alison Dodd concluded.
Additionally, the research has also found that 58 per cent of Millennials plan to watch sporting events while at work this summer and worrying, Millennials are more likely to call in sick to watch a sporting event than any other age groups – 20 per cent vs 4 per cent for over 35s.
Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.
