It’s 3 months until Christmas.
Start planning for the Christmas shutdown well in advance. Determine the specific dates your business will be closed, and communicate this to your employees and clients.
As the holiday season approaches, it’s time to start preparing for your Christmas party in addition to the Christmas shutdown if your business closes down for a period between Christmas and New Year.
It’s a time for employees to take a well-deserved break and recharge for the upcoming year. However, preparing for this period can be a bit challenging, especially with the added excitement of Christmas parties. In this blog, we’ll explore essential steps to ensure a smooth Christmas shutdown for your business, as well as tips for organising memorable Christmas parties for your team.
Preparing for the Christmas Shutdown
Depending on the Award that covers your business, if you’re planning to shut down over the Christmas/New Year period, you need to give your employees between 28 days and 2 months written notice of the shutdown period.
If an employee doesn’t have enough paid annual leave to cover the whole period of the shutdown, you can agree to annual leave in advance or leave without pay. But you can’t direct an employee to take leave without pay if they don’t want to take unpaid leave.
Your employee is entitled to be paid for any public holidays during the shutdown period that fall on days they would normally work.
Preparing for Christmas parties and other work functions
It’s important to make sure that your expectations are clear – Most importantly, remind employees that your Code of Conduct and other related policies apply at out of hours functions.
You should plan ahead, take precautions and be prepared for anything.
Our message is not about taking the fun out of Christmas, but making sure you’re prepared and your employees know that your policies still apply at Christmas parties and work functions.
Here are 7 tips to avoid Christmas party disaster:
- Have a good time. A Christmas party is often a reward for the work of the past year and good employers use a Christmas party to build team morale & celebrate the achievements of the year. It can show your employees that you appreciate them and the work they do for you 🙂
- Remind staff that the Code of Conduct applies at the Christmas party to confirm that bad behaviour won’t be tolerated. For example, sexual harassment rules apply at the party just as much as in the office.
- Organise transport home for partygoers – employers have a duty of care for employees at work functions, especially if they have been drinking alcohol.
- Ensure that your Christmas party properly caters for everyone, e.g. non-drinkers, vegetarians, food allergies. Make sure that people have plenty to eat and access to water and non-alcoholic beverages.
- If someone is organising the giving of Secret Santa or Kris Kringle presents, remind staff that the gifts should not be offensive and should be appropriate. It’s a good idea to set a $ limit as a guide.
- Remind staff of appropriate use of social media.
- Don’t dismiss any post-party complaints or issues. Any complaint needs to be dealt with quickly and effectively in line with your company’s grievance procedure and other workplace policies.
In conclusion, preparing for the Christmas shutdown and organising a memorable Christmas party for your team requires careful planning and attention to detail. By following these steps, you can ensure a smooth transition into the holiday season and create a festive and enjoyable experience for your employees.
For further expert advice on human resources or if you have any questions about anything HR related, get in touch.
Karen Hillen is your HR Partner, she helps businesses by providing HR support and advice services.
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