While it is still early days and there have not been too many concerns, the problem is likely to aggravate as the tournament enters the knockout stages.

Over 52 percent of the 6,000 respondents in a survey conducted by human resource provider Zhaopin.com said they do not plan to delay their work schedule on account of the matches. But 48 percent did admit that they do plan to take short holidays, or occasionally be late for work and in some instances just absent themselves from work.

The fascination for the World Cup matches just refuses to fade, the survey said. Nearly 20 percent of the respondents plan to watch all the 64 matches, while 70 percent said they would try and watch as many matches as possible.

"I asked my supervisor for a one-month holiday nearly six months before the World Cup started," said Wang Dawei, the manager of an IT firm in Beijing.

"There are too many soccer fans in my department and it is better to get your leave sorted out as early as possible," Wang said.

Many others like Fu who have not been lucky to get their leave sanctioned try to make a compromise between their passion for sport and work.

Fu, who works at a leading accounting company, said he has been waiting for the World Cup since last year.

To avoid the impact of less sleep on his work, Fu hits the sack after he returns home from work and then gets up at midnight to watch the remaining matches.

Ouyang Hui, a career consultant at ChinaHR.com, China's leading job portal, feels that "employees have to strike a fine balance between their career and hobbies".

Many HR experts have often suggested that employees should work out their own World Cup schedules by forgoing some live matches and instead view rebroadcasts or catch some games online.

The Zhaopin survey said the World Cup will have some impact on employees' work efficiency.

Many employees will rejig their work schedules for the tournament, it said. Some will try their best to finish the assignments by 7 pm itself as the first match starts at 7:30 pm.

The work efficiency of some employees would also be affected due to lack of sleep, as the last match doesn't finish till 4 am.

Experts also feel that the victories or defeats of their favorite teams will have a direct impact on daily behavior in the workplace.

To avoid such pitfalls and also to prevent work slippages during the World Cup, many employers have come out with temporary rules for the one-month period that links work performance to income and rewards.

"My employer will deduct 100 yuan from my salary if I am late for work once within this month. I will end up losing my monthly bonus if I am marked unpunctual three times during the month," said Liu Tao, a marketing specialist at a logistics company.

But many experts like Ouyang are of the view that the employers should be more considerate and adopt a more balanced approach. "Corporate managers must treat their soccer-crazy employees in a humane way, and not suppress their desires," said Ouyang.

"Employers should consider flexible work timings for employees and also clearly define the work responsibility and workload during the period," he said.

China Daily

(China Daily 06/17/2010 page13)