The Stanley Cup playoffs can be “do or die” for employers, according to the recruitment and retention experts at the British Columbia Human Resources Management Association (BC HRMA). Companies can do their employee relations a lot of good by being flexible and helping their staff cheer on the team. Employers that ignore the playoffs do so at their own peril.

Ian Cook, director of Research and Learning BC HRMA has advice for employers: “Don’t fight against the positive energy in the workplace. Instead, find ways to harness it for the good of the business.”

Cook has found that many organizations are dusting off policies from the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and applying them now to the Canucks’ playoff run.

Based on trends from the 2010 Games:

• As many as 50% of companies anticipate an increase in absenteeism during the playoffs
• The vast majority of companies will maintain the level of work required and adjust start and end times
• About 40% are either showing the games at the office or hosting staff events related to the games.
• Many of those companies are bringing in food and drinks to make playoff games a staff event

In efforts to join the excitement and foster increased employee engagement, many forward thinking employers are:

• Introducing or increasing flexible work arrangements on game days
• Allowing people to wear casual dress and team colours on game days
• Allowing people to decorate their work spaces in Canucks colours

“Good bosses will be flexible about time while being clear about expectations that work still needs to be done. Plus, it’s a unique time to build organizational connections that could help solve future business issues,” said Cook.

“The playoffs are a great opportunity to establish some goodwill as an employer. Over the past two years there have been a number of economic events that have been damaging to employer–employee relations. Sharing in the Canucks drive can go a long way to undoing some of that damage.”