It may only be November, so for some this may be a little premature, however, its good to be prepared. advo hr discusses Christmas protocols to be adhered to during the festive period. It is vital that any communications are circulated before the festivities begin, so now is a great time to consider these.
Before we know it Christmas will be upon us. There are a few things that employers should consider for this festive period:
Annual leave
With many annual leave years running from January to December, employees should have booked most, if not all of their annual leave for this year. The usual Company policy should be applied and employees should be encouraged to request their annual leave early to avoid disappointment. If you are interested in a demo of our absence management portal and for more information on this, please get in touch with us.
Review and highlight any policy relating to work social events
The policy should remind everyone of how they should behave and how any misconduct or harassment issues would be dealt with. Remember, an employer can be held vicariously liable of an employee’s behaviour at work events. Therefore an employer needs to be able to demonstrate they have taken all reasonable steps to reduce the chances of this happening.
Complaints
If after a work party complaints are made, these should be taken seriously and investigated under the correct procedures.
Gifting policy
Have a corporate gifting policy if appropriate – this should detail what should happen in the event of an employee receiving a gift (whether they are able to accept it, what is an acceptable gift the value of the gift etc.). This should outline the procedure the employee should take if they do receive a gift. It should also outline what can be given as a gift from the Company. This should be shared in advance with all employees so they are aware of what is acceptable in the eyes of the Company. If in doubt the employees should be encouraged to check with their Line Managers.
Work party
Ensure that managers are assigned to supervise work-related events, with guidelines of how to deal with any employees who are drunk or disorderly. It goes without saying but it is imperative that the designated supervisors should remain sober. It is advisable not to have a free bar, rather to limit free drinks and offer soft drinks and water as alternatives. Ultimately employers have a duty of care and need to encourage employees to work out how they will get home.
If you would like to know more about how this affects your organisation or have concerns or questions on any other HR staffing issues please contact us. Initially email hrexperts@advo.co.uk and we will come straight back to you.
