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Monday 5 November 2007 - 'TIS THE SEASON TO BE FLEXIBLE
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Monday 5 November 2007
'TIS THE SEASON TO BE FLEXIBLE

By Professor Chris Gale
Director, Bradford University School of Law

No employers want to be seen as Scrooge at Christmas time, but all need to have policies in place to cope with the growing popularity of online shopping.

Savvy Christmas shoppers, it seems, visit the shops for inspiration over the weekend, then go to price-comparison sites and place their orders from work on Mondays.

The Business Software Alliance reports that 46 per cent of online shopping happens during working hours. And according to one major price-comparison site, Mondays in November are the busiest days of the year for shopping on the web.

With the addictive nature of internet shopping, it can be all too easy for employees to end up spending hours online during the working day.

But the problem doesn't end there. As more employees order presents online, more also arrange to get them delivered to the workplace. Some internet retailers - including clothing and wine companies - go so far as to advise their clients to do this.

Of course, this prevents them having to take a day's holiday to receive delivery at home and so boosts attendance levels at one of the busiest times in the business year. But it can also slow down work-related deliveries in the post room.

I advise a flexible approach. Employers could consider, for example, allowing employees to use their computers for internet shopping during their lunch breaks but never during working hours.

A similar compromise may be to allow employees to take delivery of a reasonable amount of Christmas post at the workplace - provided they have previously arranged for this with their supervisor and nothing too bulky is delivered.

The policy - and the consequences of breaking it - should be clearly communicated to all employees.

Give and take is the name of the game in good employment relations - at Christmas and throughout the year.