London 2012 - A Headache for HR?

With the advent of the biggest sporting event to be held in Britain since the Olympics last came to the UK in 1948, employers have to consider the impact on their businesses. What are the HR issues and challenges the “Olympics effect” may bring for employers and human resource managers?

A good starting point is to identify potential logistical issues that may arise once the Olympic buzz is in full flow and prepare a contingency plan to tackle them.

Perhaps the most obvious issue, for those who operate a business in London and in areas where events will be held, is whether employees will be able to get to their place of work. Don’t assume travel disruption will be confined to the Olympic stadium area - there are 37 competition venues across the UK, 27 of which are located in and around Central London. Transport for London has announced the closure of major roads and the enforcement of new parking restrictions throughout the capital. In addition, numerous roads will close for events such as the road cycling triathlon marathon and race walking events.

One solution to deal with any transport disruption is to encourage employees to work from home. Homeworking offers many positive benefits for both the employee and employer and with expected delays to travel during the Olympic period, the most obvious one being productivity working from home rather than being stuck in traffic.

The Government certainly view temporary home working as a viable solution and has advised Civil Service departments across the South East to encourage staff to work from home over a two month window surrounding the Olympics. Other businesses are taking a similar approach: O2 organised a trial in February 2012 where they closed their office headquarters for a day and allowed thousands of staff to work from home as a trial in anticipation of the Olympics.

Prior to agreeing flexible working, have clear policies in place and ensure all employees are fully aware of the requirements. For example, parents are expected to have appropriate childcare in place when working from home. It’s also worth considering whether to have an Olympic policy which has specific additional breaks to enable employees to watch events. This can create goodwill and employees are more likely to comply with timed breaks rather than watch events while working from home.

It’s important to note that flexible working may require changes to IT systems to cope with any additional pressure arising from staff logging in remotely from home. Warnings have already been issued by the Internet Providers’ Association to indicate a “massive hit on the infrastructure” owing to increased usage as people stream the Games live on their PCs both in and outside of working hours. Now is the time to ensure your IT and internet systems are running efficiently and can cope with additional demands. Employers need to consider contingency plans if there are problems with internet connectivity, especially where phone systems are internet-based. Internet service providers may allow companies to increase bandwidth for a brief period to cope with additional internet traffic. Security also has to be considered in relation to data being accessed from outside the office.

It’s unlikely that these working from home solutions will be practical for all employees. Businesses that require their employees to be at the place of work need to consider how they can work flexibly by perhaps changing working hours or shift patterns. Employers should consider a temporary change to their policies to deal with unexpected delays and make staff aware of revised procedures designed to combat the effects of an expected rise in lateness and absence.

Holiday plans are also affected by the Olympics. It is therefore imperative that employers set out a clear policy specifically in relation to taking annual leave during and around the Olympic Games. The Games fall during the summer holiday season, a time when staff resource can be stretched at the best of times. This summer however, there will be the added draw of the Olympics to encourage staff members to take annual leave entitlement. Some may already have tickets to attend events. Staff should be advised at an early stage how much notice they must provide and how annual leave will be allocated in exception to usual procedure. Employers should also remind employees that they should not make plans and incur costs until holidays are approved.

It is inevitable that some employees will want to watch certain Olympic events. Employers need to consider whether to organise a joint viewing opportunity or to permit employees to watch it on their own computers to avoid any abuse.

Remind employees of the company’s internet policy while setting out any specific exceptions which may operate during the Olympics.

Ultimately, good contingency planning and the communication of policies are crucial to ensure that businesses are equipped to deal with any unexpected difficulties and can enjoy this very special occasion.
For full details on road closures, restrictions and possible disruptions in your area, please visit www.getaheadofthegames.com/travel-in-affected-areas.html

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