Employers face a number of challenges on 7 July 2014. Significant road closures are planned in the city centre and heading south towards Saffron Walden so heavy transport disruption is likely and may hinder employees getting to work. Many employees may also want to take the day off to spectate. In addition, nearly 40 schools have also confirmed they will close on the day which is likely to result in child care difficulties for parents. Also, bear in mind that if your workplace is on or near the route, you may face the extra challenges of employees wanting to stop work and watch the bikes go past.
Some employers may just decide to close for the day. If so, you need to decide whether you will simply give all staff a paid day off or instead require the day be taken as holiday. Check your contracts of employment to see if you can require staff to take particular days as holiday. You may also want to consider, if you are an employer with multiple locations, whether a decision to close one office and give staff the day off (in central Cambridge, for example), but to keep another (on the outskirts of the city) open, might lead to ill-feeling.
For those businesses remaining open, legally, the Tour will not alter any existing workplace rules and policies. These remain in force and employees must continue to respect them. So, employees who take unauthorised time off or turn up late will still be committing a disciplinary offence.
Some employers may wish to deal with these issues by following their normal disciplinary procedures. Others may prefer instead to pedal a more flexible system and anticipate these issues before they arise.
Setting out some rules upfront will help ensure everyone is on the same track, for example:
- Taking Leave: holiday rules need not change - just remind employees that leave must be requested and taken in the normal way. Alternatively, you might consider - subject to business needs - allowing unpaid leave or lifting any limit on numbers of employees off at the same time. Tell staff whether holiday requests will be granted on a first-come first-served basis or whether you’ll adopt a lottery-style approach.
- Flexible Working: consider - subject to business needs - allowing homeworking or varying working hours so staff can avoid the worst of the traffic disruption and/or deal with child care requirements.
- Sickness: to deter ‘sickies’, confirm that your sickness policy still applies and hold return to work interviews.
- If your workplace is right on the route: consider allowing staff to pop out as the race goes past. At the speed the bikes go, it shouldn’t take too long, may encourage attendance and boost team morale.
Don’t forget though that, if you are granting concessions, there will be some staff to whom the Tour means little and who may resent too many benefits being granted only to cycling fans.
To sum up, be prepared to be flexible but make sure that any policies and concessions are applied in a uniform and non-discriminatory way. Make it clear that any generosity is entirely at your discretion and staff are expected to reciprocate such good faith. Hopefully, by taking these steps, you’ll then be wearing the yellow jersey in the eyes of your staff.
About Jo Scally
Jo is a very personable senior Associate who leads Greenwoods’ employment law services in Cambridge. She acts for organisations in and around Cambridge. If you have any employment-related queries, do contact Jo on 01223 785296 or jrscally@greenwoods.co.uk
Greenwoods Solicitors LLP provides top quality legal advice and pragmatic solutions to local, national and international clients.
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