Productivity (Tuesday, June 29, 2010 / 7:54 AM)
The most anticipated FIFA World Cup 2010 is finally here! This month long event has caused football to be the main topic of discussion for most people. Pubs and bars are showing games LIVE on request which caused an increase in business. Watching the world cup with friends in the pub definitely beats watching alone at home.
During the World Cup, many would be hyped up for this event however it causes the motivation to work to decrease. World Cup may seem to be an advantage for pubs and bars but it is reported that World Cup is bad for productivity for some other businesses.
Firstly, employees would be distracted. It is reported that some employees would watch the match online via online streaming sites during business hours. In one of the articles, “Some employers fear World Cup” clearly shows the impact of World Cup on people, how people are able to go to the extent of quitting their job just to catch the matches. This definitely shows how passionate and enthusiastic these people are towards World Cup. Keeping themselves updated with the scores would keep them from being focused at work. Therefore, it causes employers to be worried for the performance of the business.
Secondly, sick leaves are expected to increase in this World Cup Season. As employees would stay up to watch late night matches, it is not surprising to see the many tired faces in the offices. Experiencing fatigue would cause employees not to reach their fullest potential during work. Even as work is being done, it may not be of quality work because the employees are not giving their best. The lack of sleep and rest would not only cause a lack of energy and but also an increase in health problems. These health problems would therefore lead to an increase of people taking leave. More issues would be brought up to the employers because they have to hired staff to take their place or seek temporary staff to complete the undone work. Employers would need to plan ahead and plan effectively to deal with this issue to ensure that no problems, such as deadlines not met, would be experienced.
I believe that this once in every four year event is definitely an ideal time for people to come together and enjoy the sport. Employers are able to be flexible during this period of time so as to avoid unhappy employees. On the other hand, as employees working for the company, choosing to do the right thing at the right time is important as well. It is also important to know what our priorities are so that we are able to keep our focus and not be distracted. When the time is right to chill out, one is therefore able to enjoy the game with much ease.
Kaylee Chan
