Previous Fifa World Cups kept football fans awake till the wee hours. However, the current Qatar edition has been a boon, as the matches are held during most of the working hours -- the first match starting at 2 pm and the last at 11 pm (Oman local time).
According to a survey conducted by GulfTalent, the World Cup will affect both employees and employers and the work environment in general.
Both employees and employers must balance their work duties with watching the games, and staff productivity issues, including leaves by multiple employees at the same time.
The survey said 77 percent of employees in the region plan to watch at least some of the Fifa World Cup games, including 41 percent who plan to watch the games during working hours.
Of these, roughly one-third expect they would be given permission to watch the games, while one in six said they would watch the games live-streaming from their computers or smartphones.
The survey was based on online responses from 7,000 professionals across nine countries in the Middle East.
Speaking to the Observer, the general manager of a leading corporate group said, “We are not going to make special facilities for the staff to watch the match but cannot stop if someone is watching the match from their mobile. Actions can be taken only if the work is affected, but still, we must consider the fact that the passion for football is universal.”
An employee of a retail shop at a leading mall said, “No one is going to compromise on the livelihood just to follow the matches.”
It is football season, and as expected, every fan of the beautiful game is visibly excited, catching up on every game possible.
According to a study, late-night matches and games during the day affect employees’ productivity across the Gulf region.
The study revealed that 77 percent of the employees in the region are planning to watch at least one of the games. Of these, 41 percent intend to watch the matches during work hours.
Nearly one-third of the employees hope that the employers will give them permission to watch the games, even as one in six people who were interviewed for the survey said they plan to secretly watch the match online.
Some of the employees are also planning to ask for a full day of annual leave, call in sick or leave work early to watch the matches, according to the study.
The study revealed that the highest among the people who are planning to go to Qatar to watch the matches are UAE nationals, followed by people from Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait.
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