Sickies/Discrimination

[flip-flop]

I have just received the following in an employment law bulletin;

"Although the world cup has ended, how many employers have thought about discrimination relating to this? It appears that well-intentioned employers allowed staff to watch matches during work time to avoid an epidemic of sickies and duvet days. But what about those staff that didn't like football, did they get time off? Companies could have left themselves open to discrimination claims from those who were not interested in football".

Have you ever ever heard a bigger load of rollocks? If somebody tried this I think I'd have to hack them to pieces with a rusty spoon!

[Catso]

Well, I'll disagree with you.

Although my company didn't allow people time off, I know some did. I'm not that interested in football, but why can't I have a similar amount of time off to go fishing? It is indeed discrimination.

Similarly, smoke-breaks. I sit next to someone who has at least 6 smoke breaks, each of at least 5 mins every day. I definitely feel discrimated against, by dint of being a non-smoker. I should be able to finish 30 mins earlier every day.

[flip-flop]

The world cup is an event once every four years and we rarely get past the quarters, so that's five games.

In the world cup just gone, two games were on a Saturday and one was on a Sunday. One was at 8pm during the week and another at 5pm.

So, and assuming we are talking about the England games, the time off would have been reasonably small. The odd hour or so every four years is hardly discrimination in my book.

[annavc]

I'm with Catso on this one. On the day of I think the first england match - the one that started at 5pm I think, my entire office (20 people) decided to leave at 4pm to get to whereever they were planning to watch it. My manager (!) walked up to my desk and said "Anna you're not watching the football are you, you can man the office". I was then left entirely on my own for 2 hours (our office hours are till 6pm) manning 20 different phones over 4 departments and dealing with 8 different visitors that came in during that time.

Is that fair?

[Ethel]

What sort of discrimination?

An employer cannot discriminate on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, race , culture, religion or disability.

Where exactly does the enjoyment of football fall into that?

[Catso]

Obvious, I would have thought: religion.

[unruliejulie]

so catso, just PRETEND to like it!!! it's a win win situation!

[brachiopod]

Where does discrimination come into it???

When someone in (my) work got a full disciplinary because they left � hour early one day.

The day before, 30 people left 2 hours early because a load of over-paid pansies happened to be kicking a football around, and absolutely nothing was said, nor was it officially authorised.

In Employment Law, discrimination does not necessarily mean "race, gender or sexual orientation", but victimisation can occur where one person is treated unfairly and unequally when compared with the traetment of their fellow workers.

So unless your work said officially that employees were entitled to time off to watch the football, and that it applied equally (or fairly) to all, rather than just " turning a blind eye " to absenteeism on match days, then, yes, I would agree that a company could face "unfair treatment" claims - unless they had agreed that those not watching the match / left behind / manning the fort etc.could have similar time off in-lieu.

So stick that in your rusty spoon.

[Catso]

Well put brachiopod! Just because it isn't one of the popular and legislated discriminations, doesn't mean to say it isn't discrimination.

[flip-flop]

Boo hoo hoo, its not fair - he has a lolly and I don't. boo hoo hoo. I'm going to tell my mummy.

That is what sounds like - childish tantrums dressed up as victimisation/discrimination. Anybody who tried to pull a pathetc stunt like this should seriously and rapidly grow up and get a life.

These rules and regs on discrimination/victimisation are there for genuine gripes, not because somebody has got a teeny weeny upset because the big boys are watching the football mummy.

Pathetic.

[Drusilla1S]

I think companies should use a bit of common sense in these situations and allow people to leave early to watch World Cup matches, but offer the eqivalent time to non football fans at another time. The football fans can then enjoy their matches, the 'left behinds' get some extra free time and the employer keeps a contented workforce. It's just give and take, really.