The FIFA World Cup begins Thursday, June 12, 2014, and ends Sunday, July 13, 2014.
Every country that is participating or has a large viewing audience, suffers from billions of lost productivity and revenue.

As a result, employers need to start planning now.

With our diverse workforce it is not just a case of planning for specific matches. Remember as the tournament progresses into the knockout stages, matches are likely to be of interest to all football fans, whichever country is playing.

Fortunately, for many employers, most matches are scheduled to kick off in the afternoon or evening which will limit some of the disruption to the working day. However, the impact may be more widespread amongst retailers where staff regularly works later shifts, night shifts and weekends.

Many employees might be tempted to disregard company policies and watch the matches that interest them. This results in increased absenteeism (both unauthorized and sickness), lateness and breaches of Internet usage and even breach of alcohol policies as staff venture into bars and restaurants at lunchtimes etc. Bars and restaurants often obtain extended licenses during the tournament so care has to be taken to ensure all employees are clear on what is permitted and acceptable. Employers should be having those conversations with their employees now.

Employers are under no obligation to cater for employees' interest in the tournament. However, employers who take a hard-line approach run the risk of creating resentment amongst staff that will impact employee morale, productivity and customer service.

It is a major sporting event and it is worth considering how you can accommodate staff without affecting the running of your business. Remember as well some of your senior management might be avid fans too. Being flexible can give you more control over your workforce, reduce absences and last minute holiday requests. Put simply, an employee is less likely to call in sick if they know they will be able to watch the big game.

Some basic tips to help both employers and employees during the tournament are as follows:

1. Shift swaps - Not everyone is a football fan and an employee could find a colleague who is happy to swap shifts.

2. Annual leave - encourage employees to take formal days off as annual leave; employees should also be reminded that whilst they are entitled to statutory time off, the time off is always at the discretion of the employer. The parties and other colleagues need to work together beyond the tournament.

3. Flexible hours - agree to flexible start and finish times for work, where possible, to allow employees to watch games. Agree to extended lunches if employees make up the time.

4. Screen games live - employees are less likely to be absent if they know they can watch games at work. This enables you to control the environment in which your employees watch games. This may not be practical for store staff or warehouse workers, however this can, in many cases be accommodated for office staff; even with the sound off, the ability to watch the game is an excellent morale booster.

5. Set expectations - make it clear that you will not tolerate unauthorized absence, lateness, poor performance or any misuse of alcohol. Remind employees that it is unacceptable to use sick leave, either to watch events or to recover from the aftermath of a big night out.

6. Policies - remind employees of your policies, absence, IT usage, alcohol; It is unacceptable for an employee to turn up so hung over as to be incapable of doing any work the next day, especially where their job involves tasks such as operating machinery or driving a vehicle, the employee could cause a serious accident. It is important that the company reiterates that abusive, racist or sexist language, bullying or harassment, could see their employees facing allegations of gross misconduct leading to termination of their employment.

7. Internet streaming - If a large number of employees stream a match to their desktops all at the same time, leading to small gathering around one employees desk, there could be an effect on general productivity levels as well as the employer's network. Employers should make clear to employees their internet policy and realistically assess whether it might be better for both parties to relax this for the duration of the tournament.

8. Be Impartial - when responding to requests for time off. Remember that not everyone is a football fan, so be careful not to isolate these other employees during the tournament.

9. Be consistent - communicate reasons for not allowing requests for time off to follow the tournament; an internal memo circulated to all employees is best.

10. Be fair - Both employees must realize it is only a game and your employer has a business to run. Employers should also consider it's only for a few weeks and every 4 years.

11. Set deadlines - If the employer implements any temporary policy to accommodate the tournament, set deadlines for example for requests for leave and flexible working hours.

12. Don't fake illness - if the employee doesn't show up when there's a big match scheduled, the real reason for the absence will be obvious. If the sickness isn't genuine, the employee may face disciplinary action.

Above all, approach the World Cup with common sense and flexibility. The company doesn't want to spoil the fun of one of the most exciting and spectacular events in the sporting calendar.

The company should be prepared, be transparent, be fair and be flexible. Check your employment contracts and policies are up to date.

From the employee's perspective, remember businesses need to continue to run, minimize absenteeism and ensure against poor productivity and behavior during the course of the tournament.

With sufficient preparation, discussion and co-operation, everyone should win!