英伦广角 2010-05-23 世界杯将使请假看球者人数激

The World Cup is fast approaching, and new research shows that more than seven million workers plan to watch every single match, all 64 of them.

The survey shows that only a tenth of workers think they will be allowed time off to watch the games which could prove a headache for businesses.

A fifth are considering not going in at all, but only one in twenty said they would use their holiday time. So to combat a potential surge of sickness, some employers have become football-friendly.

"We want to put up TV screens around the building in areas for staff when they are taking a break from work can come and watch it. We've got good flexible working arrangements for staff can start early or work late."

Employment lawyers say take a sickie at your peril¹.

"To be honest, during the World Cup, I'm not sure that action will be taken in quite the same way it would for other events. But certainly the employer is within their rights to discipline for sickies."

But will the threat of the sack deter² die-hard football fans?

"If England got to the final, I will definitely take sickies."

"Why not? You know, it's football and comes around every four years, isn't it, you know?"

"Just get a sense of injustice³ if you are not allowed to watch it really."

Let's hope they are not disappointed.

Lucy MacDonald, Sky News.
 

1 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

2 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

3 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。