Holidays in the Workplace
The holidays are a fun time and a great opportunity to work on team building or include your employees’ families. Holiday parties, decorating competitions and gift exchanges are all fun activities that you can offer your employees and/or their families, but there are certain ways to go about these activities to avoid a mishap.
- Be inclusive. There is a plethora of holidays around December, and it’s important to remember that not everybody celebrates the same ones. Letting employees celebrate whichever holidays they choose in their own way is important, but be sure the company is inclusive of all.
- Lose the booze. Or, if you do serve alcohol, perhaps implement a drink limit. Too much alcohol is a recipe for stupid decisions. Better to not take any chances with inappropriate behavior.
- Make events optional. Some employees may not celebrate certain holidays due to personal or religious reasons. Others may just want to focus on their work. Don’t pressure employees to show up or participate in events. Besides, you don’t want any poopers bringing your party down.
- Bring in the family. An easy way to alleviate risks of many of these problems is to host a party for employees and their families. Knowing this, employees are less likely to drink too much and more likely to be on their best behavior. Host events and games that appeal to young and old.
- Set limits for gift exchanges. Whether you’re doing a secret Santa or white elephant, it’s good to set expectations in your gift exchanges. Otherwise, some employees will be getting iPods while others get shamrock keychains. Setting a price range (usually $10-$20) is a good way to keep things fair.