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Contingency plans 'should be put in place ahead of the Olympics'

Posted by Editorial Team

Now is the time to ensure contingency plans are in place to cope with expected disruption caused by the Olympics, firms have been advised.

Director of security at Attenda Matt Gordon-Smith explained how the Games may cause problems for companies based in the Greater London area.

In particular, travel for staff could prove to be difficult as the capital is set to see an influx of thousands of tourists keen to witness the sporting event.

Firms may want to consider introducing new temporary time and attendance rules, such as allowing employees to work flexi-time or work from home.

Remote working could be particularly beneficial for staff that do not have to be in the office to complete their daily tasks.

In turn, organisations may see a benefit, as their workers will have higher morale and there should be no issues with people arriving late due to delays.

"Certainly transport disruptions are going to be a key impact and making sure that all those people have the ability to continue to perform their role remotely is key," the specialist remarked.

Mr Gordon-Smith also advised companies to think about their policies for allowing staff to watch certain sporting events or even take time off to attend.

It was suggested there could be a rise in the number of requests for leave around the time of competitions such as the 100 metre final.

"[Business should] make themselves aware of when people are requesting leave to go and see that," Mr Gordon-Smith remarked.

The expert added that it is vital firms think ahead and do not overlook the likelihood that employees will be interested in following the Games.

As a result, it was claimed one option may be to offer people the chance to take authorised, unpaid leave if it can be accommodated.

"Make sure you've got the staff coverage for vital roles, so you can continue to operate those roles and look at where you can perhaps be more flexible in working times, so you won't have a lot of people taking holidays," Mr Gordon-Smith commented.

Equally, businesses were warned they could find some staff members decide to take unapproved leave in order to watch the Olympics and so a system of how to deal with offenders should be decided upon in advance.

Once this has been drafted, it was noted that all employees should be made aware of the implications of taking unauthorised absences.

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