One in six already planning Olympic sickie, finds Badenoch & Clark

As the one-year countdown to London 2012 begins today, research among 1,000 office workers shows the vast majority of employers (79.9%) are still to establish a London 2012 leave policy, resulting in those lucky enough to get tickets unsure if they will be able to attend.

The report, published today by recruiter Badenoch & Clark, found the level of uncertainty has led to one in six (15.7%) people admitting they would consider taking a 'sickie' to watch London 2012.

The number was even higher among 16-34-year-olds, over a quarter (28.4%) of whom say they would consider a sick day to attend London 2012. A sixth (14.9%) of respondents confirmed that they intended to take leave during London 2012 and a further sixth (17.6%) indicated they are still considering it, perhaps waiting to see if they are successful in the third round of ticket sales.

Nicola Linkleter, MD at Badenoch & Clark said: "There will be 8.8 million London 2012 tickets available and the ticket ballot has already demonstrated the huge appetite in Britain to attend. Corporate Britain needs to ensure that it can continue to run its organisations during London 2012 and employees need to know what is expected.

"With Transport for London anticipating difficulties in getting people to work, employers need to have in place firm annual leave policies and contingency plans for possible staff shortfalls. I'd strongly recommend communicating these policies sooner rather than later.

"London 2012 is a great opportunity to get staff engaged. Employers should look to make the most out of the event, utilising it to boost morale and team spirit," said Linkleter.