Uefa final joy for shift workers

Staff in Glasgow and Manchester will cover for each other

Shift workers at a company with offices in Glasgow and Manchester are helping each other so they can watch two major football finals.

Esure said it had been inundated with requests for time off to watch the Uefa Cup and Champions League finals.

Now it has agreed that Manchester staff will provide cover when Rangers play Zenit St Petersburg on Wednesday.

The Glasgow staff will repay the favour the following week when Manchester United meet Chelsea in Moscow.

Esure head of communications, Adrian Webb, said the company had been taken aback by the interest in both finals.

The banter in the office is good natured, though some are keeping their heads down at the moment Eleanor Marwick Esure in Glasgow

"Staff at both sites are not backwards at coming forwards, particularly in Glasgow," he said.

"Dozens of people wanted time off to go to the games and scores more are interested in watching them.

"The offices complement each other with staff handling customer calls, so it made sense to have a reciprocal arrangement."

Mr Webb said the new staffing arrangements would not impact on Esure business.

Office split

Eleanor Marwick, who works at the Glasgow office, said company rules would normally allow about 10% of staff to be off at the one time.

She said Manchester had agreed to work a backshift to 2000 BST on Wednesday, with Glasgow returning the favour the following week.

"I'd say dozens of Rangers fans from the office are heading to Manchester for the final, though they'll be going separately and not together," she said.

"There's a lot of excitement among staff who're split roughly 50/50 between Celtic and Rangers.

"The banter in the office is good natured, though some are keeping their heads down at the moment."

Ms Marwick said at least 30 people had booked the day off for Thursday in the event of celebrations after a Rangers victory.