Law firms issue employers’ guide to Euro 2012

Euro 2012 can be a kick in the teeth for employers, warn Prague-based Kocián Šolc Balaštík (KŠB) and other international law firms that have compiled a manual addressing how to handle heightened absenteeism and other fouls (so to speak) during the ongoing European football championship in Poland and Ukraine, which run through July 1.

“The manual is designed to provide employers with a brief summary of measures they may adopt to avoid too leisurely an atmosphere at the workplace due to the event, as a result of which the company’s performance could suffer,” Sasha Štěpánová, a KŠB lawyer involved in the drafting, said in a press release. 

The manual highlight issues such as unexcused absences, adjusted working hours, internet and e-mail monitoring, alcohol testing — and betting at the workplace. “Rather than preventing employees from enjoying the event, the manual should help set fair rules for all parties involved,” Štěpánová said. ‘Rather than preventing employees from enjoying the event, the manual should help set fair rules for all parties involved.’

Each topic includes aspects of national jurisdictions from countries taking part in the games, such as the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Spain. The manual was issued by the Employment Law Alliance (ELA), an association of leading law firms from over 135 countries worldwide engaged in labor-law advice, of which KŠB is the Czech Republic’s exclusive member.

Key questions addressed in “Watching UEFA Euro 2012: A Guide for Employers”

• Absenteeism — How can the company react to unjustified or short-term absences or to a false medical certificate submitted by an employee?
• Work time organization — Are there ways of organizing work time so that the employees can follow matches? If the company adapts working time, what risks are incurred with respect to discrimination against women, other nationals, and those unmoved by football?
• Company IT tools — May a company filter internet use or emails? On what conditions, if any?
• Intoxication — Can a company administer breathalyzers in the workplace? What action, if any, can be taken against employees who report to work under the influence of alcohol?
• Off-duty conduct/Football hooliganism —How does a company deal with off-duty misconduct, such as football hooliganism?
• Gambling / Office pools — Is it lawful for a company’s employees to conduct office pools at the workplace in which money is contributed for the chance to win the entire pot? If office pools or gambling is prohibited, what steps should an employer take to prevent office pools from being conducted at the work place?

The complete text of the manual is available here.