I don’t know any of you are the same, but here at MSHB we can’t believe how quickly Christmas has come around!
It seems like a lifetime ago since we were able to properly count down to the office festivities that everyone loves and looks forward to. Therefore, to make sure that Santa visits everyone this year, here is our Christmas checklist for all employers:
Is your Christmas lunch/dinner/party booked?
- Everybody loves to celebrate over food and share stories so these occasions are a great opportunity to bring your workforce together and reminisce about the great moments that 2022 has brought us!
- The office party is a great opportunity to get to know your colleagues better. While we don’t want to sound like scrooges, it is always important to make sure that your employees are aware of what is expected of them and maintain a degree of professionalism. It can be a good idea to include in any memo a reminder to not get ‘too friendly’ with your colleagues and to comply with the company’s ‘drugs and alcohol policy’ when it comes to the following day!
Is your office secret Santa underway?
- Secret Santa operations are a great way to create some workplace-friendly mystery – it may therefore be worth asking if there are any volunteers in your workplace who would like to organise this task and spread the Christmas cheer!
- Again, it is important that when doing this we ensure that all gifts are appropriate!
Do you have a gifts policy in place?
- Sometimes, you may find that your clients/customers wish to present you with a gift in the spirit of this holiday season. Therefore, to ensure that all employees are clear on whether or not they can accept these gifts, it is advised to have a policy which specifically address this and consider setting a limit on the value of gifts which can be accepted.
Do you have a sickness policy in place?
- Many employers may find that their employees’ sickness absence levels increase nearer the holidays, for whatever reason. Therefore, it is advised to ensure that your sickness policy is up to date with your current practices so that all employees are aware of the steps required when they find that they cannot attend the workplace.
Have all employees booked any required annual leave?
- Whether your workplace is open over the Christmas and New Year period or your employees simply wish to extend their holiday break, it is important to ensure that all employees who require time off during this period have complied with their company policy and submitted their annual leave requests in plenty of time!
Have all employees taken a sufficient amount of annual leave?
- Regardless of when your holiday year runs from, you may find that some employees have not yet taken a portion of their annual leave which may result in a build-up of annual leave across your workforce.
- As a result of this, you may be suddenly hit with an influx of annual leave requests from multiple employees all at the same time. Therefore, it is advised to review your employees’ outstanding annual leave entitlement prior to December to check whether you wish to ‘prompt’ your workforce about booking annual leave prior to the Christmas countdown.
Is there any way your company can give back to others during the festive period?
- As Kevin’s mum in the classic Christmas movie ‘Home Alone’ reminds us, ‘Christmas is the season of perpetual hope!’ Therefore, in the true spirit of Christmas, is there any way that your workplace could organise e.g. a charity ‘Christmas Jumper day’ to help those less fortunate? Instead of sending Christmas cards to one another, could you organise a donation box for a charity of your choice instead? Even a small act of kindness to a stranger can go a long way!
If you feel that any of your employees may need some support during this festive season, be sure to check out our blog on ‘World Mental Health Day – some key ways to support your workforce’.
Do get in touch with us if you’d like any advice. Finally, from our MSHB family to yours, we hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
