The Super Bowl is the football fan’s holy grail. Food, friends, and football equal a great time for sports fans. However, what does it mean for employers? Sure, the good-natured rivalries in the office are usually harmless. What are you supposed to do if they aren’t? How should you approach office pools if there isn’t already a policy? The employers’ guide should help you.
There are several ways to approach the Super Bowl at work and increase employee engagement. The Monday after the game has more people calling out sick than any other day of the year. According to a survey conducted by Office Team, 72% of HR professionals want the day turned into a holiday. Until that happens, let’s look at some tips to help you keep your employees engaged and at work.
- Plan an employer-sponsored breakfast. You will get more people into the office if you give them a positive experience as soon as they arrive. The breakfast will also give them the chance to talk about the game with their co-workers without taking up productivity time.
- Entice employees into the office by running a super bowl raffle. Have everyone fill out a ticket and put their guess at the games’ score, who will win the MVP, etc. Announce the winner Monday morning with the caveat that the employee must be present to win.
- If your company can afford it, give your employees a late start on Monday. Everyone needs to come to work, but the start time could be delayed by a few hours. This not only builds morale; it also gets far more people into the office.
Things to be aware of while planning for the Super Bowl:
- Reasonable Suspicion: In years past Blueline has seen a significant spike in positive alcohol and drug tests the week after the super bowl. Keep your workplace safe and be mindful of safety-sensitive positions within your company.
- Office Pools: Office pools can lead to legal issues if not properly implemented. Check to ensure your company has a policy that complies with local and state laws. You can be more strict, but don’t allow pools if they’ve been deemed illegal by the state.
- Revenue costs: The number of people who call out sick causes a total loss of revenues over $2 billion dollars. A survey done by Challenger, Gray, and Christmas found that the dollar figure could rise even higher in the years to come.
The Super Bowl can be fun. It can also make the workplace more enjoyable for a few days. Keep your employees engaged with work while still having fun. Not only will you be more productive, but you’ll also have better retention rates as well. Blueline Services can help with background and screening checks to make the employers’ guide to any event simple and straightforward.