Skip to main content
Facilitate Magazine: Informing Workplace and Facilities Management Professionals - return to the homepage Facilitate magazine logo
  • Search
  • Visit Facilitate Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit Facilitate Magazine on LinkedIn
  • Visit @Facilitate_Mag on Twitter
Visit the website of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management Logo of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
    • Comment
    • People
    • Reports
    • Research
  • Features
    • Analysis
    • Features
    • Round Tables
    • Webinars
  • Outsourcing
    • Contracts
    • FM Business Models
    • Interviews
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Opinion
    • Procurement
    • Trends
  • Know-How
    • Explainers
    • Legal Updates
    • White Papers
  • Jobs
  • Topics
    • Workplace Services
      • Hospitality
      • Catering
      • Cleaning
      • Front of House
      • Grounds Maintenance
      • Helpdesk
      • Mailroom
      • Manned Guarding / Security
      • Pest Control
      • Washroom Services
      • Disaster Recovery
      • Specialist Services
    • Professional Performance
      • Behavioural Change
      • Continual Professional Development
      • Education
      • Management
      • Recruitment
      • Training
    • Workplace Performance
      • Benchmarking
      • Health & Wellbeing
      • Operational Readiness
      • Procurement
      • Security
      • Workplace User Experience
      • Workplace Culture
    • Compliance
      • Health & Safety
      • Risk & Business Continuity
      • Standards
      • Statutory Compliance
    • Building Services
      • Architecture & Construction
      • Asset Management
      • Building Controls
      • Building Fabric
      • Drinking Water
      • Fire Protection
      • HVAC
      • Landscaping
      • Mechanical & Electrical
      • Building Security
      • Water, Drainage & Plumbing
    • Technology
      • Building Information Modelling
      • CAFM
      • Data & Networks
      • Document Management
      • Information Management
      • Internet of Things (IoT)
      • Software & Systems
    • Energy management
      • Energy Management Systems
      • Electricity
      • Gas
      • Solar
      • Wind
    • Sustainability
      • Environmental Quality
      • Social Value
      • Waste Management
      • Recycling
    • Workspace Design
      • Agile Working
      • Fit-Out & Refurbishment
      • Inclusive Access
      • Lighting
      • Office Interiors
      • Signage
      • Space Planning
      • Storage
      • Vehicle Management / Parking
      • Washroom
    • Sectors
      • Corporate Office
      • Education
      • Healthcare
      • Manufacturing
      • International
      • Retail
      • Sports & Leisure
      • Regions
  • Buyers' Guide
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Topics
Comment
Content
Professional Performance
Topics
Comment
Content
Professional Performance

Olympic fever

Open-access content 3rd July 2012
Ali Moran discusses the issues raised by the arrival of the Olympic games in July.

 

3 May 2012


The Olympic Clock in Trafalgar Square is counting down the days until the opening ceremony for the London Olympic Games on 27 July 2012.

If you are involved in facilities management, it is highly likely that you have already got plans in place to deal with the impact the games will have on the services you and your team deliver. But what about managing your team's expectations and keeping them focused on the job in hand in the lead up to, and during, the Olympics?

The first step is to identify their hopes and plans so that any conflicts can be established - such as too many people wanting to be away at the same time - and develop a standard response to those issues across the business. Ensuring that everyone knows what the process is for getting approval for their time off and how conflicts will be dealt with - first come, first served, for example - is also key.

What of the avid but disappointed sports fans who did not strike gold in their bid for tickets and are desperately hoping that they will be able to watch some of the action while at work? Possibilities include allowing employees to watch the most popular events, either in the office or in the local hostelry. This is certainly a generous provision, but it can help to limit the time people spend secretly watching events. It is important to be clear about the expectations surrounding such an initiative, such as no alcohol if the plan is to retire to the local pub, or what the consequences will be should anyone focus their attention on the games at other times.

The lucky ticket holders will undoubtedly already have booked their leave, but what of the volunteers (aka 'games makers') wanting time off?

In relation to volunteers, who were used for the first time at the Olympics in 1948
when London was the host city, it will be a brave employer who refuses to allow someone to take up his or her games maker post. And I say this as someone who is a games maker, working both at the main games and the Paralympics. In fact, Simon Aspinall, a colleague on the SIG steering committee, is also a games maker and will be working in the transport team at Park Lane.

But what if your team is delivering essential services during the games and cannot be depleted? From a legal perspective, a volunteer has no right to demand the time off and as an employer you will simply need to follow your usual process for requesting leave. If leave is granted, then this can either be taken from annual leave or as unpaid leave.

Love it or not, the Olympics are coming and to leave you with some idea of the size of the undertaking here is London 2012 in numbers:

  • 10 million tickets
  • 30 days of competition
  • 15,000 athletes
  • 46 sports
  • 805 events
  • 4,000 technical officials
  • 10,000 team officials
  • 6,000 employees of LOCOG
  • 125,000 contractors from more than 100 organisations
  • 70,000 volunteers
  • One million extra journeys in the busiest nine days


Ali Moran is the chair of the BIFM People Management Special Interest Group and HR associate with Workplace Law.






Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Most-Popular

 

Latest Jobs

Catering Team Leader/Manager

North West England
Excellent career prospects
Reference
54267

Estates Officer - Maintenance Electrician

London
£25.39 per hour
Reference
54266

Assistant Development Manager – Student Accommodation – Client Side

Manchester
£45 - 50k plus 12.5% bonus potential, 8% pension.
Reference
54256
See all jobs »

 

 

Sign up to our newsletter

News, jobs and updates

Sign up

Subscribe to print

Sign up to receive our weekly Redactive News e-newsletter.

Subscribe
Facilitate magazine cover, June 2020
​
FOLLOW US
@Facilitate_Mag
Facilitate Magazine
Facilitate Magazine
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel: 020 7880 6200
​

IWFM

About IWFM
Become a member
Qualifications
Events

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy
Think Green

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to Facilitate Magazine
Write for Facilitate Magazine

General

IWFM Jobs
Help

www.facilitatemagazine.com and Facilitate magazine are published by Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive, Level 5, 78 Chamber Street, London, E1 8BL