A t least half the people in Britain will be eager to watch the glittering opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics, the 100m final with the possibility of another world record by Usain Bolt and the score or more events where Britons will be going for gold.
But many of them should be at work. Therein lies a potential problem that businesses will face in two-and-a-half years’ time: how to accommodate the huge interest in the Games while maintaining services and production.
Industry research suggests that most companies, still concerned with the immediate future in these recessionary times, have yet to consider the problem.
Obvious solutions, such as relaying news and images across staff computer screens or erecting large screens in the atrium or canteen might prove inadequate. Instead, fans will want to enjoy the atmosphere at screenings in town centres, in pubs and cinemas and, best of all, in the stadiums themselves.
Michael Rendell, PricewaterhouseCoopers’ personnel expert, says: “The most immediate impact to consider is those people who want to work as part of the event, as volunteers, judges or referees. They will regard it as a once in a generation opportunity.
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“The amount of goodwill earned by agreeing to holidays during the Games or even short sabbaticals will be worth the effort. But companies will have to make sure well in advance that they have sufficient cover for absentees and make early arrangements to parachute in temporary workers, if necessary.”
Businesses must then consider how to cope with the excitement generated during the Games. Jonathan Austin, chief executive of Best Companies, the workplace consultants, says: “We advise companies to fully embrace the enthusiasm for the Games by getting into conversations with staff now and creating fun and energy around the event, instead of pretending it is not happening. Together, they can think about solutions, such as putting big screens in factories and offices, pioneering flexible working and agreeing to extra, possibly unpaid, holidays. If they put it underground, people will throw sickies.”
Organisations that have encouraged self-managed teams should fare best because the members are used to finding solutions to problems among themselves. They should be able to agree who can have time off for which event and to arrange for those who are less interested in the Games to cover for fans in return for favours at a later date.
A further problem — and a reason to encourage flexible working — is likely congestion around the Olympic venues. With 800,000 expected to use public transport in London on the busiest days and tens of thousands converging on other venues in the Home Counties and locations ranging from Weymouth to Glasgow, many people might not be able to reach their workplaces.
“Introducing flexible working requires considerable planning and is not something that can be done a few weeks in advance of the Games,” says Nigel Stagg, managing director of BT Business. “It involves a big cultural shift for companies, training courses for managers and staff and ensuring that the right equipment is in place.”
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Research conducted for BT indicates that some of the companies considering flexible working during the Olympics regard it as a short-term solution. Yet experts in human resources say they should build on it for the future because of the benefits experienced by many organisations. These include a better work-life balance for staff, improved morale and increased productivity, especially for those who have swapped difficult commutes for home working.
Austin says that some organisations are taking advantage of the interest in the Games by using 2012 as a milestone, setting goals to be achieved by that date. The Manchester Airports Group, for example, is likening it to a marathon with the aim of breaking into the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies list by then.