In one of the more creative approaches to managing employee disability expense, an insurance company in Holland is issuing policies to employers who may suffer from significant increases in employee disability during the upcoming Soccer (sorry, Football) World Cup.

Dutch companies are required by law to pay employees out of work due to illness, and when tens of thousands of workers called in sick during the European Championships in 2004, a business opportunity was created. Insurance policies only pick up the payments after two weeks of absence, but the new policy, underwritted by SEZ, will cover absences the day of and the day after Dutch soccer matches.

Now if they could only set up a policy to cover Wisconsin employers for the first day of deer season...