London, 9th June 2004 - Euro 2004 is finally here but if you are not going to Portugal to watch the matches live, will your employer allow you to watch them during the working day? According to Monster’s latest survey, almost half of Brits (49%) are not allowed to watch matches under any circumstances. However, 19% of Brits score with having sports fanatic bosses allowing them to watch matches at any time. 10% of voters will only be allowed to watch the final, on Sunday 4th July.
The Monster Meter asked, Will you be allowed to watch Euro 2004 matches during working hours? 460 Brits placed a vote, revealing:
49% (225) - No, watching sports on TV is not allowed under any circumstances
22% (102) - Yes, but only if it’s during my break
19% (88) - Yes, at any time - my boss is a sports fanatic
10% (45) - Yes, but only the final
Andrew Wilkinson, CEO of Monster Worldwide UK comments, Employers should take a common sense approach to letting their staff watch Euro 2004 matches. If the demands of the business allow for employees to finish at 5 pm to watch the matches, it can be a great morale boosting opportunity. Ultimately, if employees are given the choice to watch key matches it may result in reduced absenteeism and a more responsible approach to personal workloads.
Colin Byrne, CEO of PR agency Weber Shandwick says, I have just sent out an e-mail to all staff inviting them to come and watch the England vs Switzerland match on Thursday 17th June at 5 pm. We will be providing beer, wine, hotdogs and nibbles and of course plenty of patriotic decorations to get everyone in the mood. We are very lucky this time that the matches don’t interfere with core business hours. Being a very multi-national company it is important to allow people to watch the matches they wish. It goes without saying that sporting events increase workforce morale, which is vital to the success of any company!
The results of the current Monster Meter are based on votes cast by Monster.co.uk visitors from 19th to 31st May 2004. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation. The Monster Meter, a product of Monster, the leading global online careers site and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide Inc. (formerly TMP Worldwide Inc.), is a series of online polls that gauge users’ opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy and the workplace. Anyone interested in voting in Monster’s current online poll may do so by logging onto
Euro 2004 kicks off with half of Brits offside
49% are not allowed any Euro 2004 viewing action during work hours