SCORE A GOAL WITH THE BOSS

With the Football World Cup kick-off only a few weeks away, many employees will be keen to show the support for their country by cheering on their team during the games, wearing their national colours and even heading to the tournament in South Africa, and UK bosses have revealed showing your team pride in the office can help your career prospects – but be warned you don’t cross the line or you could be red-carded.

A survey of 900 UK bosses by management careers site site TheLadders.co.uk found that 54% believe supporting a common team with your peers and boss can help with career prospects, whilst nearly half (47%) think sharing a favourite team can open doors within a company.

Eighty-four percent of respondents in the survey agreed that football matches are a great conversation starter and way of getting noticed in the workplace, and by supporting the same team, 20% have themselves scored seats with the boss to match games.

However, of those surveyed, some also believe that supporting a team can hinder your career. Fifty-eight percent agree that as a rival supporter you can become the butt of office jokes. Forty seven per cent reveal that you also become a rival to the boss if he or she support a different team with 42% saying this can lead to the “Ronaldo complex” - being excluded by peers and seniors.

Beware you don’t become a hooligan fan though as this won’t go down well with the office coaches and management team. Fifty five per cent of senior management senior management quizzed said wearing football “kit” (and cluttering your desk with football souvenirs) can get you relegated.

Derek Pilcher, Managing Director of TheLadders.co.uk says, “The Football World Cup presents a good opportunity to create light-hearted banter with your colleagues and peers. It is a good way for you to build interpersonal relationships especially if you support the same team as the boss. But be careful you don’t overplay your game, letting your team’s performance affect your behaviour in the office could put you at risk of office relegation.”