Get Ahead of the Games for Employers in London
Less than two weeks to go until the start of the Olympic games (27 July -12 August) and the Paralympics (29 August – 9 September). Transport for London on behalf of the Olympic Delivery Authority, the Department for Transport, the Highways Agency, National Rail and the Mayor of London have published a website full of practical tips for Londoners with a dedicated page for employers: http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/travel-advice-for-business/support-advice-and-tools.html
In summary, the advice is all about how to avoid Central London at rush hour. But what if you are a retailer operating in central London during the Games? Encouraging home working, changing hours of operation, or recommending annual leave is not going to work for you. You will need your staff to turn up on time and work very hard. How can you ensure they will do so?
Encourage staff to consult the website and sign up for the daily travel bulletins and email updates. You can and should do this yourself and disseminate the information to staff.
Many underground stations in Central London will be closed or exceptionally busy, so remind your employees to check the bulletins, leave early and expect to walk further than normal. Also encourage staff to think about alternatives to public transport like walking or cycling.
Remind staff that problems with transport will not be an excuse to turn up late and that repeatedly being late could result in disciplinary action.
However, the threat of disciplinary action should not be the only solution as it might encourage staff to call in sick rather than arrive at work late.
You could consider an incentive for employees to turn up on time, for example, in the form of a one off attendance bonus for employees that make it into work on time every day.
This is the second blog we have written on this subject and it is because preparation will help you ensure that your business gets through the games without too many problems.