Grassroots HR – Twelve Days of Xmas (HR Headaches)
The 12 Days of Christmas HR Headaches – And How To Avoid Them!
Christmas and human resource management have an interesting relationship. From overindulging on the office chocolates, work halting hangovers to Christmas party induced flings, it can certainly all be going on. That’s before taking into account that not all staff may acknowledge Christmas therefore cultural considerations add an extra HR dimension to contend with.
Below is the Grassroots HR guide to navigating your business through the festive period in one piece. Think of Grassroots HR as your guiding star from the partridge in a pear tree first day of Christmas, all the way to the New Year.
- Annual Leave Headaches
Balancing taking a much needed break with the needs of the business can give HR managers a headache. Unless there is a specific contractual agreement, generally, employers can refuse an annual leave request. For example, if there are valid business reasons to ensure there is staff cover to meet customer demands.
Make sure your inner scrooge acts fairly across teams and departments though to prevent morale issues further down the line. Special consideration may need to be given to those with dependants or specific religious beliefs to ensure any policy is not discriminatory.
- Christmas Party Palavers
In most cases, a few drinks are fine but having five too many can cause lots of emotional HR chaos. HR teams often find themselves mopping up the Christmas party spills, from verbal or physical confrontations to sexual harassment. Usual rules still apply when it comes to work parties so one too many tequilas can lead to disciplinary action, something to remind staff of before going out…
Make sure under 18s are not drinking, maybe forget the plastic mistletoe decorations and think twice about bottomless free bars to avoid post party HR drama… Call us to invite us along or for HR backup!
- Christmas Bonus Bug Bears
They say money talks, and it certainly can do at Christmas time. If your business is planning to issue a Christmas bonus, the aim will no doubt be to increase loyalty and productivity but sometimes the opposite can occur. If staff expect a bonus and then it does not happen, this can dampen morale.
Check whether the employee has a contractual right to receive a Christmas bonus, either through a clause in their contract or implied through custom and practice. Naturally you will want to avoid any breach of contract so it is best to be aware of this upfront, especially if finances are tight this year. HR advice before changing historic bonus policy is definitely the way to go.
When bonuses are purely discretionary, employers must be careful to be fair. It is bad practice and potentially discriminatory to motivate some members of staff while undermining others.
- Christmas Gifts From Clients and Customers….
Sorry to be all bah humbug but be careful not to fall foul of anti-bribery legislation when staff members receive gifts at Christmas from clients or customers. A company may be guilty of an offence if a person associated with them bribes another person, intending to obtain or retain a business advantage. Do you have an anti-bribery policy? These usually include provisions as to the receipt of gifts, with an upper limit and clear reporting lines if an employee is concerned. Need help? Call us for quick virtual HR advice!
- Employee Christmas Wellbeing
For some employee’s, Christmas may increase stress, anxiety or depression. As a company you need to meet your obligations to provide a safe place of work and a safe system of working so here are some ideas to help. Create and implement a mental health at work plan. Encourage open conversations about mental health and signpost to support. Monitor employee working hours and ensure they have a healthy work life balance. Provide support services such as occupational health or confidential counselling.
By helping staff with their mental health, it will pay dividends in the form of productive, motivated staff in the future so it is certainly worth the investment. Again, call us to chat through how we can support you to support your staff.
- Christmas Cupid
Many partnerships begin at work and that can be a beautiful thing! However, new relationships can also lead to gossip and rumours, marriage breakdowns and general messiness. HR needs to tread carefully and we can help.
Do you have a Relationships at Work policy within your employee handbook? We can help you add one in if you wish to keep everything transparent from the start. We can also help you educate employees on sexual harassment policies, reducing liability should Christmas romance go sour in the new year.
- Keep Santa Safe At Work
The National Accident Helpline claims that 2.6 million people have fallen off a stool or ladder whilst hanging up decorations, and 80,000 people a year need hospital treatment during the Christmas period. Christmas Elf and Safety required!
Just because it involves tinsel, usual health and safety rules apply throughout the year so make sure you are communicating and following the rules. From PAT testing tree lights to advice on how to use a ladder, who is looking after your employees’ health and safety at this time of year? We signpost you to excellent health and safety training, policy guidelines and much more so give us a call to check you are doing everything you can to keep your staff healthy and safe!
- Ice to Meet You
It’s not just inside the office that can cause HR headaches at this time of year. When the temperature falls, so can your staff! Employers are responsible for ensuring the workplace follows appropriate health & safety standards, taking action to limit risk and potential injury caused by snow and ice. Walkways need to be cleared of ice and snow, well-lit and clearly marked. Have you got everything covered?
- Dress Down Disasters
Christmas jumper day anyone? A simple relaxing of corporate attire policy can uplift the office, unless the clothes cause offence (easily done!) Communicate outfit rules, while also letting your staff show their inner Grinch or snow fairy. Clear communication upfront can save HR headaches down the line.
- Seasonal Disruption
Staff caught up in a snow blizzard? Office roof tiles blown off? Calm HR managers have a policy in place to deal with such seasonal eventualities and a Severe Weather Policy can do just that. What would you do if staff couldn’t get to work? Can staff work remotely? Who needs to be notified of unplanned seasonal disruption and what form of communication is best? Taking time out to plan before any seasonal storms hit saves a last minute panic.
- Handling Hangovers
It is not just Christmas office parties that lead to hangovers in the workplace. Staff need to be made aware that overindulging over the Christmas period doesn’t excuse them from coming into work, and performing their duties fully, the next day. Keep things clearly communicated upfront instead of putting buying branded stomach calming medication on your HR to do list.
- Remember to Have Fun
Despite all the potential pitfalls, make sure you embrace this time of year. Christmas is great for morale, team building and motivation so aim to have a great atmosphere at work at Christmas time.
To take away any worries, why not get some friendly HR backup from Grassroots HR. If you could do with some remote or in person outsourced HR support, contact us for a free, no obligation and confidential chat. Our clients tell us how approachable and jargon free we are so you have nothing to lose by giving us a call.
Merry Christmas!
