As the weather is getting colder and the sun is setting earlier, lots of businesses are already well into the Christmas season. To ensure a happy and festive holiday season, we have collated some tips for you to consider.
Merry Christmas Everyone: festive and inclusive staff Christmas parties
Throughout the holiday season, it is important to recognise that not all employees celebrate Christmas in the same way, if at all.
If you are planning to host a staff Christmas party, you should:
- Carefully select a time and date (to avoid conflicting dates with other holidays and make it convenient for people with families or children to attend), including thinking about whether the party will be held during working hours or not
- Consider appropriate locations – will staff need to travel to get there and how will they do so?
- Provide non-alcoholic beverages and cater to specific dietary requirements
- Invite everyone!
By thinking about all of the above, employers can create a festive environment that embraces the season’s spirit while also cultivating a culture of inclusivity and respect for everyone.
Ensure that you’ve considered how staff will get home afterwards. You could organise taxis or a minibus or circulate taxi company numbers prior to the event. Remind your staff to plan their transport home in advance and to ensure that they will not be driving if they plan on drinking at the event.
You can find more detailed information on staff parties here.
Additionally, remember that your staff Christmas party might be tax free. For more information, see our Q&A here.
Santa Tell Me… are your staff on the ‘nice list’?: disciplinary issues
When hosting a get-together, it is imperative that you keep in mind some of the risks that might spoil your festivities. This may include staff members drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, which can result in accidents, arguments and harassment. Consider discouraging an excessive amount of alcohol consumption, not having an open bar or operating a token/voucher system for drinks.
It is important to remember that you can be held responsible for the actions of your staff at work socials, especially with the new legal duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace (see our blog posts here and here).
You should also consider the following:
- Remind staff members in attendance that your staff Christmas party is a work event; everyone should behave accordingly
- Treat any unacceptable behaviour seriously and in accordance with your disciplinary policy or procedure
- Deal with any absences from work in accordance with your usual procedures
Learn more here.
Driving Home for Christmas: holiday annual leave
Of course, it is common for staff to request time off around Christmas and New Year. You should ensure that you take a fair approach to how you allocate time off and that you have clear policies in place, for example a first-come-first-served policy or a rotation system.
Staff should understand how to request time off, and make sure to communicate your policies clearly. To ensure that employees are accommodated during the holiday season, it may be appropriate to offer a flexible work schedule. See our Q&A here for how to deal with multiple staff requesting annual leave at the same time.
Alternatively, you may decide to close the office for Christmas and New Year. You could require all staff to leave during this period or specify from the outset that nobody can take leave during this period, but you must remember to do this with an appropriate amount of notice so that staff can plan their holidays throughout the year. You can use our Staff handbook and policies here to generate clear policies.
Blue Christmas: conducting check-in sessions with staff
For some staff members, the holidays may be a stressful time. It is important for you to check in with staff to ensure that any concerns and worries are heard and addressed. This will contribute to a culture of openness and transparency where employees should feel comfortable discussing their concerns and mental health needs.
Similarly, these check-in sessions may be helpful as a feedback mechanism. You may use this opportunity to identify what worked well this year, and what could be improved for the upcoming year. By using the feedback received from such sessions, you can ensure that employees’ voices are heard and respected.
Conclusion
As the holiday season approaches, ensure that you have considered how to include everyone in the festivities, as well as your legal obligations. By following these tips, you continue to foster and cultivate an inclusive work environment. Additionally, by establishing and communicating annual leave policies ahead of time, you can ensure that your team can request and organise time off appropriately.
Remember that during the holiday season, it is not just about accomplishing objectives and aims of the business. It is also about showing gratitude, prioritising the wellbeing of staff and enjoying the festivities.
Have a very Merry Christmas, and happy holidays!
Becca joined Sparqa Legal as a Legal Editor in 2024 after transferring from FromCounsel. She previously worked as a caseworker at Advocate, the bar’s pro bono charity. Becca regularly writes for Sparqa’s blog, covering topics including employment, health and safety, intellectual property, and company law.