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Paris 2024 Olympics: how are companies organizing in the Paris Region?
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Johanna
02/04/2024
Hybrid work
Paris 2024 Olympics: how are companies organizing in the Paris Region?
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The Paris Olympic Games, scheduled from July 26 to August 11, 2024, and through to September with the Paralympic Games, are going to be an unprecedented moment of celebration and sport for the capital. But also... an HR and organizational headache for many companies and workers in the Paris Region.
50% of people living in the Paris region are already planning to adapt their travel during the Games, and 23% of employers are ready to encourage this practice(1).
There's no secret to making the most of this exceptional sporting event and minimizing inconvenience: you have to anticipate! The government has even made this its motto, appropriating the words of Pierre de Coubertin: "During the Games, the important thing is to anticipate".
To make sure you're in the starting-blocks, follow our 3 tips for preparing your company for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
This article is also available as a one-page one-page downloadable guide 👈
1. Assess the disruptions associated with the Olympic Games that will impact your business
Anticipate the Games - easy to say, not easy to do. Yet this isn't the first time Paris has had the privilege of hosting these festivities. Exactly a century earlier, the Olympic Games were held in the capital. But it's hard to compare the 1924 event, with its 600,000 spectators(2), with the 2024 Olympics and their 10 million visitors(1).
Don't panic, we've got a plan! First step: carry out an audit to understand the impact the Games will have on your business.
General impact on your business
Depending on your business sector and the location of your sites, there are 3 levels of impact:
- Companies actively involved in the Olympic Games. Examples include the catering, transport, cleaning and tourism sectors.
- Companies whose activity will be slowed down or even stopped.
- Companies that will not be directly affected, but whose employees' working conditions will be disrupted.
And the winning number is... 3! Good news, this article is just for you.
Impact on office accessibility
Check whether your offices are close to an Olympic competition venue to determine their level of accessibility during the Games.
Didn't memorize the map of the competition sites? Neither have we, so here's a cheat sheet 👇
Impact on your employees
Is your company not directly affected by the Games? Are your offices far from the Olympic venues? So far, you're thinking it's going to be a breeze? Don't be too quick to claim victory... You're forgetting something here: your employees.
It is essential to analyze your employees' movements:
- Where do they live?
- How far do they have to travel to get to your offices?
- What modes of transport do they use?
- Do their activities require travel? If so, in which areas?
You now have a good overview of the impact of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on your company. This audit will enable you to make the right decisions.
2. Define coping strategies during the Games
Depending on the results of your audit, you may be considering one (or more) of these 3 options:
- Close your offices completely during the Olympic Games
- Impose vacations on your employees
- Adapt your workplace strategy
Adaptation is survival - Darwin will tell you otherwise. Follow our tips for adapting your workplace strategy during the Games.
Flexibility for your organization
To do this, use the 4D method:
- Reduce travel
Facilitate telecommuting whenever possible. Make sure you support your employees in this transition, if telecommuting has not yet been implemented in your company. Otherwise, adapt your telecommuting policy during this period, even if it means offering full remote working as an exception.
- Stagger commuting times
If your employees have to travel to your offices or make business trips, offer them the chance to work staggered hours to avoid peak traffic on public transport and on the roads.
- Turn away from the usual modes of transport
Offer alternatives to public transport: carpooling, walking, cycling... If your company offers a sustainable mobility package, now is the time to launch a communication campaign aimed at your employees. - Deviating routes
Help your employees to find alternative routes that will enable them to limit their commuting times.
Make your Games with Worklib! We're helping companies set up temporary facilities specially designed for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. With our network of over 5,000 coworking spaces in France, offer your employees an alternative to telecommuting, close to home.
Take care of your employees' well-being
Halfway between the transit strikes of 2019 and home confinement during the health crisis, the Olympics can bring back bad memories.
Make sure you monitor your employees' well-being during this period. Feeling good is essential.
To break the isolation caused by telecommuting from home without venturing into public transport, opt for local coworking. Offer your employees the possibility of reserving flexible workspaces close to home.
3. Apply the 3Cs: communicate, coordinate, control.
You've now chosen your strategy for organizing your company during the Paris 2024 Olympics. As soon as possible, communicate your strategy to your employees. This will enable your employees to organize themselves in turn, avoiding social tensions and the stress of the unknown. It's also an opportunity for you to open a dialogue with them. Their feedback and questions may help you to fine-tune your strategy so that you're ready for the Games, and to avoid any surprises.
During the Olympic Games, your mission will be to coordinate the implementation of this strategy. It's the transition from theory to practice. Make sure you support your managers and staff to ensure the success of your plan.
Finally, don't forget to check that everything is running smoothly. Check that your strategy is effective. Stay on top of government and Olympic Committee guidelines. Monitor the well-being of your employees. Be ready to adapt, as unforeseen events are always to be expected 😉
And that's it, our work here is done. We pass the baton to you. Now it's your turn!
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<font size="-1">Nos sources</font>
<font size="-1">(1) https://anticiperlesjeux.gouv.fr/</font>
<font size="-1">(2) https://www.paris.fr/pages/paris-une-histoire-olympique-8218</font>
