Ok, I’m not a big gambler. The odds are that everyone else in Australia knows more about horse racing than me. But I do know a great bet for bringing a team together and creating lasting bonds which can reduce your employee turnover and up your employee engagement. The Melbourne Cup has that in spades.

One of the most historic and prestigious races in Australia, the Melbourne Cup, is one of those events that “stops the nation” and it can also divide it. A well-run Melbourne Cup event can be an amazing winner for your business, but keep in mind that it is not for everyone and feel comfortable to opt out if needed.

Here’s some tips to make sure it runs smoothly.Remember there are lots of industries where taking time out for The Race is just impossible. Hospitality, Manufacturing, Building and Construction etc. If your business is not able to celebrate the cup, communicate it clearly to the team so that there is a clear understanding of why. The team will understand but communication is really important.

• Be aware of your team and sensitive to the personal, cultural or religious beliefs of team members. Team members may opt out of the activities for a wide range of reasons, including religious prohibitions, concerns about animal cruelty, being introverted and not enjoying the loud noisy environment, gambling or alcohol addiction. As employers we strive to create inclusive events, but we need to ensure that people are not pressured in anyway, or negatively affected.
• Melbourne Cup may be a great way to bond the team in this crazy year. While some clients are still working remotely, others are blending their time between working from home and the office and others are entirely back to pre COVID office attendance. See if there is a way to bring the team together through sweepstakes or other games connected with the race: best hat, best and worst tie etc. that can be done remotely or in the office. These activities which help your team get to know each other are more important than ever this year.
• Some employees may find that a Melbourne Cup afternoon is not enough time to celebrate and so may be inclined to take more time off the following day for a range of reasons. Make sure you are following up on the leave and if you don’t already have it in place, its time to write a leave policy. We can help you with that if you have any questions.
• If you are providing an event, ensure you provide a start time and a finish time for the official workplace event so that the team know what is expected of them or wording similar to “team may finish work and leave the office early after the race”. Communicating this clearly may be critical because events that occur outside the work function can still be an employer’s responsibility such as workplace injuries and harassment claims.
• It’s also a good idea to be clear and transparent about your businesses drug and alcohol policies and set out standards and expectations before, during, and after these events. If people are planning to drive, use any equipment post event, or perhaps write complicated code, make sure they are safe and able to do so.

With all this information behind you it’s off to the races! If you are opting out for whatever reason, we still appreciate your time in reading our blog. With other festivities such as Thanksgiving (for our US based clients) and Christmas just around the corner, we are sure this information will be valuable for them as well.

If you are gambling, good luck!

For more information and your obligation free consultation, contact us our Impact HR experts are here to help you!