Tag: flexible hours

Acas urges employers to have a good team line up before World Cup kick off

Workplace expert, Acas, has published some top tips today to help employers prepare for potential issues that could arise over the World Cup period.

The World Cup is a big sporting event for many workers who may want to follow their favourite football team and enjoy the event. Some staff may want to book time off to go to the World Cup or attend special group events in the UK. Others will want to use the internet or their phones to stay updated on the match results.

Acas advises employers to plan ahead and have agreements in place that cover requests for time off, sickness absence and flexible working hours during this period.

Acas Head of Workplace Advice, Susan McGuigan, said: “The World Cup is an exciting event for many football fans but staff should avoid getting a red card for unreasonable demands or behaviour in the workplace during this period.

“Many organisations need to maintain a certain staffing level to operate effectively. Bosses should have a set of simple workplace agreements in place before kick-off to help ensure their businesses remain productive whilst keeping staff on side too.

“Our top tips can help managers get the best from their team players, arrange appropriate substitutions if necessary and avoid unnecessary penalties or unplanned sendings-off.”

The 2026 World Cup will take place in Canada, Mexico and the USA between Thursday 11 June and Sunday 19 July. Due to the time difference, football match start times in the UK will vary between 5pm and 5am. There are also likely to be pre-match build ups that staff may be keen to watch or listen to.

Acas offers some top tips for employers to consider for the World Cup:

Time off – employers may wish to look at being a little more flexible when allowing workers time off during this period and staff should remember that it may not always be possible to book a holiday. The key is for both parties to try and come to an agreement.  All requests for leave should be considered fairly. A consistent approach should be applied for holiday requests for other major events too as not everyone likes football!

Drinking or being under the influence at work – some people may like to participate in a drink or two while watching the match or go to the pub and watch it live. Match times this year could start late at night into the early hours of the morning, which means fans could drink later than usual.

It may be helpful to remind staff they must not come to work under the influence of alcohol and that anyone caught drinking at work or under the influence of alcohol in the workplace could be subject to disciplinary procedures.

There may be a clear no alcohol policy at work but workers may need a reminder.

Sickness absence – employers may want to remind staff that their sickness and attendance policies will still apply during the World Cup. Any unauthorised absence, patterns of absence or late attendance are likely be investigated and could result in formal proceedings.

Flexibility – one possible option is to have a more flexible working day. Workers could come in a little later or finish sooner and then agree when this time can be made up. This is particularly important given the time differences between the UK and the host countries.

Allowing staff to listen to the radio or watch the TV may be another possible option. Employers could also allow staff to take a break during match times. Another option is to look at allowing staff to swap shifts with their manager’s permission.

It is important to be fair and consistent with all staff if you allow additional benefits during the World Cup.  Any change in hours or flexibility in working hours should be approved before the event.

Use of social media and websites – there may be an increase in the use of social media or websites covering the 2026 World Cup.

Employers may wish to remind staff of any policies regarding the use of social media and websites during working hours. The policies should be clear on what is and isn’t acceptable web use.

Bank holidays and being fair to staff – there is a World Cup bank holiday on 15 June 2026 in Scotland but it does not apply to England.

Employers should keep in mind that UK workers support a diverse range of national teams. Any plans and arrangements that are made at work should apply fairly to supporters of any team.

Supporters can be passionate about a national team and managers may want to remind staff to be respectful to each other.

New research reveals half of Scottish workers want more flexibility at work

Half of Scottish workers want more flexibility – and more than 1 in 3 with children would consider term-time-only working, according to new survey

  • New survey from YouGov, commissioned by Amazon, explores Scottish views on workplace flexibility
  • While 51% of workers in Scotland would like more flexible working options from their employer, almost half (44%) say they have NO option to work flexibly at all
  • More than one in three (34%) of all parents with children aged 18 and under would consider term-time working; an innovative option recently introduced by Amazon for its Operations employees in Dunfermline and across the UK
© Tim George/ UNP 0845 600 7737 Amazon PRIDE: EMA2 Dan Neilson

As parents across Scotland plan ways to keep their children active and entertained during the school holidays, new research reveals that more than one in three working Scottish parents would consider term-time only working to improve work/life balance.

A YouGov poll commissioned by Amazon, reveals half (51%) of working parents in Scotland want more flexibility in their jobs, while more than one in three (34%) parents in Scotland said they would consider switching to a term-time contract.

Furthermore, almost half (44%) of those questioned in Scotland say their current employer offers no opportunity to work flexibly at all.

The survey follows a recent expansion of Amazon’s own ground-breaking term-time working option which aims to help employees and their families. The flexibility guarantees time off during the summer, Christmas and Easter school holidays for parents, grandparents and guardians of school-age children.

Launched as a response to employee feedback, term-time working is now available to thousands of people across Amazon’s operations network following a pilot in the company’s larger fulfilment centres to understand how the option could better support families during school holidays.

The company also recently introduced Amazon Anytime; a flexible part-time contract for a minimum of 80 hours a month, which lets employees pick and mix the shifts which suit their needs – part-day or full-day, day or night, weekday or weekend.

The new survey also reveals:

  • Three quarters (74%) of working parents in Scotland say flexible working is a priority when thinking about their next job
  • A better work-life balance (63%) and less commuting (53%) are the top perceived benefits of flexibility for working parents in Scotland

John Boumphrey, Amazon’s UK Country Manager, said: “These findings clearly demonstrate the huge importance of workplace flexibility, and why it matters so much to employees in Scotland and across the UK.

“At Amazon, we’re always listening to our employees and innovating for our people, and we’re delighted to offer these ground-breaking contracts to help provide employees and their families more flexible options. 

“We have a variety of different full-time and part-time contracts, and we’ve also provided a four-day working week for our fulfilment centre employees for many years. Term-time working and Amazon Anytime are examples of how we continue to use feedback to support our people, help with childcare needs, and give families more time together.”

Amazon employees can also take advantage of Amazon’s pioneering Career Choice programme, which pre-pays up to 95% of costs for nationally accredited courses in high-demand fields (up to £8,000 over four years), regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.

Competitive pay, comprehensive benefits and a modern, safe and engaging work environment are provided for Amazon employees. The roles pay a minimum of £12.30 per hour depending on location, as well as up to £33,500 a year for degree-level apprenticeships.

All employees can also benefit from a package that includes private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, and an employee discount – which combined are worth thousands annually – as well as a company pension plan.

Amazon has been named as a ‘Top Employer UK 2024’ by the Top Employer Institute, one of the world’s most prestigious certifications in the field of human resources management.

This award recognises Amazon’s commitment to the development and well-being of its employees. In addition to the UK accolade, Amazon has also been certified as one of the Top Employers in Europe for a second consecutive year.

Amazon was also recently ranked first in the top 50 employers of veterans in the UK by the GREAT British Employers of Veterans, a comprehensive benchmark of the leading companies that employ veterans.