Yahoo Finance How to keep 'Raptors fever' sick days at bay
The Toronto Raptors have made history by making it to the NBA finals, which means employers may find themselves short-handed this week.
A recent Robert Half survey found 37 per cent of us know someone who’s called in sick or come up with an excuse to miss work the day after a major sporting event. It was also the most distracting or annoying behaviour (46 per cent) when it comes to sporting events.
Tip-off time might even overlap with Raptors fans’ work day. There are ways employers can motivate their employees to be productive during the finals while increasing office morale.
“Create a ‘Jurassic Park’ in your own office,” Michael French, a regional manager for OfficeTeam, told Yahoo Finance Canada.
He says employers could let their staff decorate their workspaces, maybe with a giant Drake head or two. They can take team photos with Raptors social media filters. They can have friendly office competitions.
“Give staff a designated space to talk and celebrate together and let them know it’s OK to take quick breaks to chat sports with their coworkers,” said French.
Creating an environment like this shows employees you trust them to get their work done despite the excitement.
French says die-hard fans need to avoid going out of bounds.
“This year’s NBA finals will go late into the night or may creep into the tail end of your workday depending on what side of the country you’re on,” he said.
“If you’re a hardcore sports fan, and you know there’s no way you’re missing any part of the game (and will likely be up well past the final horn) be proactive and ask for time off well ahead.”
Employers can ask employees to submit their requests as far in advance as possible, so workloads can be managed. But the finals picture isn’t clear until a few days before the series starts, so managers should be prepared to bring in temporary help if need be.
He also says employees need to be accountable for their own time. That includes not letting basketball talk get out of hand while you’re at work. Company policies on employee breaks, personal internet use, decorations, and sports attire should be adhered to.
Jessy Bains is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow him on Twitter @jessysbains
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