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Published on Nov 28
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The holiday season is upon us already. Your company has probably already finalized details for your Christmas party, developed a plan for holiday time-off, and set dates for gift exchanges and other in-office events. While the merriment may be contagious, it can cause serious headaches for your HR department. From drops in productivity to inappropriate behavior, here are three HR holiday headaches and how to address them before they get out of control.
Drop in productivity
It’s the end of the year and, for many employees, projects may be winding down. Combine that with all the distractions of holiday planning, shopping, and office parties, and you may find that your worker attendance and productivity are suffering. From coming in late to leaving early and shopping online while at work to spending too much time talking about the office holiday party, your employees may find it more difficult to concentrate on work during the holiday season.
A few helpful reminders about your company attendance policy and performance expectations can be useful in reducing these problems. Managers should also be sure to continue to check in with employees on the current status of projects, reminding them of importing timelines and deadlines. If the problem still persists, a well-timed message from the company CEO or owner can help get employees back on track. Be sure to keep the tone of the message upbeat and celebrate employee successes, with a subtle reminder that there is still a lot of work to be done before the year ends.
Gift-giving gone wild
The holiday season is a more casual and lighthearted time in the office, but as a result, professional boundaries are more likely to be crossed. While meant as funny, some gifts can come across as rude or crass. On the flip side, an inappropriately personal or overly-expensive gift can be equally troubling – causing the recipient to feel uncomfortable and unsure of how to respond.
Nip this one in the bud by discussing your company’s gift-giving practices, especially between employees and customers, managers and employees, and coworkers. Employees should be informed that gifts must be work appropriate. And, definitely do not encourage the giving of gag, humorous, or other inappropriate gifts.
Party fouls
Company holiday parties are a chance for your employees to unwind and socialize with one another in a less structured and more fun environment than the office typically allows. They’re also a nightmare for many HR managers and business owners. With visions of tipsy employees yelling loudly, inappropriate dancing, and overly-friendly touching dancing in their heads, many HR professionals see holiday parties as a potential source of liability rather than a fun gathering.
Be sure to review appropriate professional conduct at workplace events with employees. Remind them that the holiday party is still a work event and that suitable behavior is always expected. Putting a plan in place to limit the opportunity for misconduct is also highly recommended. Drink tickets that limit the number of drinks an employee is allowed to have may be a good way to limit your exposure due to an intoxicated employee. You may also want to limit your bar to beer and wine only, as other harder liquors contribute to employees becoming intoxicated faster.
If your budget allows, make sure everyone arrives home without incident by planning to provide rides if your event includes alcohol. Uber and Lyft often offer discounts for corporate events, including holiday parties.
HR Holiday Headaches and Sheakley
The holiday season should be a fun and exciting time for your employees and many business owners offer some leeway on typical expectations during this time. While being a little laid back during this time is okay, taking that attitude too far can lead to poor behavior by employees and managers. Sheakley’s HR Management division can help you develop policies for your employees that can help you avoid some of these common HR holiday headaches.
Schedule your free consultation with a Sheakley HR professional today. Stay up-to-date on all things Sheakley by subscribing to our blog and following us on social media. Are there any HR holiday headaches you experience during this time of the year? Join in the discussion by commenting below.
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