Do You Have to Be a Grinch this Holiday Season?

Nobody wants to play the part of the Grinch during the holidays, but employers who fail to control employees during the holiday season may have no choice. If, however, you follow the guidelines below, it might just be possible to keep the holiday spirit alive and well at work this year. 

Celebrations
Employees and employers alike enjoy celebrating the holidays together. In order to avoid the common pitfalls of the infamous “holiday party”, review these tips. 

• Keep holiday parties non-denominational. Put simply, keep religion out of the party. A lot of people associate the holidays with deep religious beliefs; however, not everyone at the organization will share the same belief system, traditions, etc. It’s better to keep the party theme “generic” rather than attach any religious message to the celebration. 
• Alcohol should be avoided. Not serving alcohol is the safest decision, but it may not be the most popular. If your organization provides alcohol at the holiday celebration, understand that you may be legally responsible for drunk-driving incidents, underage drinking issues, and, of course, the employee who drinks too much and acts inappropriately. Consider having an afternoon gathering or something more casual to avoid the issue of drinking. 
•  Appropriate venue and entertainment. Planning your organization’s holiday celebration isn’t the same as planning a bachelor party. Keep this in mind while you plan. 

Attendance Issues 
Your organization will likely see an uptake in “sick” days as the holiday season draws near. Typically the days prior to and after a major holiday bring a large amount of unexpected absences due to employees missing work because they’re “sick.” 

• Strictly enforce your attendance policy. Remind your employees that they’re expected to report to work during their regularly scheduled hours. If you normally require a doctor’s note or other form of verification for absences then don’t let your guard down simply because you’re in the holiday spirit. Enforce the policy to avoid the headache of having to scramble to cover shifts and deal with angry co-workers who didn’t take advantage of you. 
• Absences = No Holiday Pay. Plan ahead and implement a clear policy notifying your employees that employees won’t receive any holiday pay (if you provide it) if they don’t work the day prior to or after the paid holiday. If your employee’s regular day off falls on a holiday, you’re not required to pay them holiday pay. 

Overtime and Double Time 
For many industries, the holidays mean longer hours and lots of overtime opportunities for employees. 

• Keep Track. With the chaos of the holidays it may be difficult for you to accurately track employees’ overtime hours. Plan ahead by informing your managers, supervisors, and employees of the organization’s policies and procedures regarding overtime. Remember, holiday craze isn’t a defense to a wage and hour claim. 
• Equal Opportunity. Oftentimes employees desperately want to earn extra money during the holiday season. You need to make sure that managers aren’t giving the extra earning opportunities to their “favorites” or excluding certain classes of workers (e.g. women, older workers, etc.). If you have a policy dictating how overtime and/or the opportunity to earn double pay is determined – follow it! 

In short, you don’t have to be a Grinch this holiday season; but be prepared and make wise choices. Nobody wants the gift of a claim or a lawsuit! 

© 2013 ePlace Solutions, Inc.