HR Issues that Can Ruin Your Holiday Season

The Q4 holiday season is in full swing – this is what many companies look forward to all year. The bump in customers and revenue is enough to make anyone sing and be merry. But with the flood of new business comes frazzled or stressed employees, lack of engagement, and holiday HR issues no one looks forward to. Before the season, learn what to look for and how to avoid holiday office mishaps.

This article will help you sidestep common HR nightmares in your business a leave you looking forward to the year ahead. 

Decorations & Religious Practices

Who doesn’t like twinkling lights and a little holiday cheer in the office? You and your employees may be looking forward to hanging Christmas or Hanukkah decorations but these items may not reflect the views of your entire team.

As a leader, you must take into consideration the various holiday practices during this time of year. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, you must offer reasonable religious accommodation once an employee has made you aware of their practices. This could include rescheduling important meetings or rethinking a “no head coverings” rule to make your workplace more inclusive. 

Some examples include:

• Hanging neutral, non-religious winter decorations

• Refer to the holiday season as winter break

• Providing a variety of options for food and beverages at a holiday party or during a catered event

• Allowing for schedule swapping (more below) for religious or non-religious employees including working on non-traditional days like weekends

No matter what, decorations should be safe and not distracting. So replace real candles with led lights and keep the draped wreathes to a respectful minimum. 

Christmas Bonuses & Holiday Pay

The Holidays can be full of absenteeism and low productivity. So it’s not uncommon for companies to offer bonuses and holiday pay as an incentive. Though employees have come to expect these perks, depending on the state, you are not likely legally obligated to offer a premium for overtime or special hours. 

If you don’t plan to offer monetary incentives but you still want to reward your team, there are other things you can try. For instance, non-monetary incentives may include:

• Additional time off at another time

• Physical gifts

• Team bonding/experiential events

• Professional development/career training

Time Off

During this time of year, it’s vital to clearly communicate your holiday work hours. This is where your employee handbook comes in. No one likes to put in personal time just to have it denied. This can lead to employees not showing up when they should and leaving your team without support. When it’s not possible to offer everyone the time off they want, consider alternatives including remote work and shift swapping.

Ensure everyone that wants to work remotely is set up securely so you minimize any snags on the work day. For others that want to observe religious practices or get more time with family, offer schedule swaps with other team members.

Employees Not Showing Up

Absenteeism is a real issue during the holidays. From traffic to shopping to family woes, everyone is experiencing more stress. This causes absenteeism or its more common cousin—presenteeism. Presenteeism happens when an employee may be physically present but their mind is on the other side of town. 

So during this time, a stressed-out team leads to a reduction in engagement and ultimately profit potential. Curb this behavior by implementing policies and procedures for mental health, wellness, and recognition. Employees that feel recognized and valuable to their place of employment are more likely to show up ready to work.  

Holiday Parties

The next thing you should consider is whether you will have a holiday party. (Perhaps you should consider calling it a year-end celebration or winter extravaganza.) If so, what is your budget? Is alcohol part of that budget? Also, is attendance mandatory? Will you be paying employees for showing up?

For any event outside of work hours, you’ll need to have a clear policy for conduct. Alcohol can raise your liability for any incidents at work or on your employees’ travel home. These are just some of the questions you need to be asking this season to protect yourself and your employees.  

How to Reinforce HR Policies During the Holidays

The holiday season is stressful but it doesn’t have to be chaotic. Creating an employee handbook helps your team understand exactly what to expect. It can reduce your liability during litigation and even help to prevent it altogether.

Having an employee handbook also reduces hurt feelings during the holidays when the question of time off comes up. That’s why it’s one of the first things we recommend to our clients at HR TailorMade. Your handbook is your employees’ guidepost and is necessary as your business grows. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation about your HR needs.