CorpComms Magazine

David Ferrabee, managing director, Able and How

Do you remember the Games in 1948? We weren't meant to have them in London, but at the last minute we did. They were held where Westfield shopping centre is now. Yes, I don't remember them either. And that shows how unique the Olympics in London will be. They happen so rarely that we can't look at them as a normal 'people issue'.

The Olympics will be a big boost to the UK economy. Tourism, transport, hospitality, retail... there are countless ways that our economy will benefit. If you're in the service industry, you'll want to have a television in your public spaces, to keep people there and watching. If you have a workforce that needs to be focussed on something else, then you'll want to allow them to come and go as required. They may want to take holiday... but it's only ten working days. The two weeks of the Olympics happen quickly.

The truth is that billions of people around the world will be watching the Olympics so how can British business do anything but succeed? Can you think of any Games where the host city and country didn't come out looking better? Encourage your people to save up holiday, to watch when not working and to participate in ways that truly benefit your business.

Kevin Ruck, founding director, PR Academy

A good place to start is to think about why an employee would throw a sickie - what does it say about levels of engagement in the organisation? Of course, there will always be one or two staff that see nothing wrong in such a practice and probably won't change, but when it becomes a wider problem it is time to step back and take a close look at how staff are feeling. Engagement is partly about being prepared to go the extra mile, so a culture where using sick days as extra holiday must be the antithesis of this.

So, can the Olympics be used as an opportunity to increase employee engagement? I would argue that it can and that doesn't mean giving everyone tickets to their favourite event (even if you could get them). It is actually much simpler - and cheaper - than that. Why not ask staff how they think it should be managed? You need to set some parameters of course, such as maintaining quality of service - you don't want everyone voting for a month-long shut down, but research has shown that giving employees a voice and some influence in the workplace is key for engagement.

What you should not do is to attempt to bribe or incentivise staff not to go sick. That just sends a message that you don't trust them, and how do those who are genuinely poorly end up feeling? So, let's give employees a voice and fingers crossed for Team GB!

Lesley Allman, co-founder, Allman Communication

Come the summer of 2012 when Olympic fever hits Britain, you can bet that many of your employees will be keen to follow their nation's progress - in person, via television, radio or online. It doesn't take an expert in employee engagement to see the potential benefits of enabling or even encouraging staff to get involved, but it is important that employers give careful consideration to how they do this.

There certainly won't be a 'one size fits all' solution, but some key lessons were learned in last year's World Cup which will help employers maximise the up side whilst avoiding the pitfalls.

When it comes to allowing time off to attend or watch Olympic events, it is important to consider your business needs, agree your approach early, communicate it - then stick to it. As long as your criteria are well explained, seen to be fair and consistently applied - across sites, grades or shifts - employees will understand and adhere to them. If they don't, then it should be made clear that disciplinary action will be taken.

When it comes to the question of employees following events during working hours, there are three options to select from - prohibit, enable or encourage.

Prohibit: Unless there are genuine practical, legal or safety reasons to do so, I wouldn't advise prohibition. Resentment will fester and the potential for damage to morale and motivation is high.

Enable: Modern technology provides many options for enabling employees to follow events either on the job or in communal areas such as in canteens and rest rooms. The key to this option's successful implementation is to set parameters for line managers regarding, for example, flexible working, making up lost time, maintaining business as usual or enabling people to opt out, and then to empower them to make local arrangements within these.

Encourage: In some, but by no means all, organisations you'll be able to fully embrace the games, encourage your employees to get involved and use them as a great team building opportunity. Involve as many people as possible in coming up with ideas for doing this and take the opportunity to have some fun.

share me: del.icio.us | digg | reddit | Tweet