World Cup fever to hit work productivity

The 2014 World Cup is likely to hit productivity of employees across the Middle East, according to a survey by online recruitment firm GulfTalent.

Although none of the GCC countries have qualified for the tournament, the survey found 89 percent of employees in the region plan to watch at least some of the games.

The tournament, due in Brazil from June 12 to July 13, will be aired live in the Middle East daily between 7pm and 3am in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, and 8pm and 4am in the UAE and Oman.

The survey asked employees in the Middle East how they planned to balance the watching of late night games with their work commitments the next day.

About one in 10 said they would go to work late to catch up on sleep, while a similar number will take a day of annual leave after watching late night matches.

Three percent would report sick so they do not have to go to work.

About one-third of respondents said they will cut on their sleep to make it to work on time.

Comparing among job categories, IT professionals were found more likely than others to come to work late or call in sick following a late night match.

HR professionals were most likely to take a day of annual leave, while marketing professionals were more likely to cut on their sleep and come to work tired.

Some participants said the second half of the tournament will coincide with Ramadan, when many employees in the Middle East work reduced hours, allowing them to sleep after work and be up in time for the games.

Asked if they would spend any time on the games at work, about one-third of respondents said they would spend some of their work time discussing the games with colleagues, or watching the highlights on the Internet.

Some employers expressed concern about the potential drop in productivity resulting from the games, while others were more relaxed or optimistic about the impact of the games.

The survey found that managers who were inclined to watch the games were more likely to give flexibility to their team to watch the tournaments. Some managers said they planned to use the World Cup as an opportunity for team-building and would organise interesting competitions related to World Cup in their offices.

The research was based on a survey of 18,000 professionals in 10 countries in the Middle East and employed in various industries.

PR Web