Avoiding Holiday Headaches at Work

“When I started out as a kid on the factory floor, we always got Thanksgiving and Christmas Day off,” he says. “We also got a bonus on Christmas Eve, when the boss would pour everybody a drink and pass out the checks. He’d toast our good health and let us go home early.

“Everything is different today,” Zerbe says. “In my company, we’ve got employees who celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and even Ramadan, in addition to those who celebrate Christmas. Now we have a ‘holiday’ party on-site without alcohol, and I give performance-based raises, not end-of-year bonuses. To tell you the truth, I like today’s world better. I call my factory the little United Nations because I employ people of different races and religions. It’s my son Carlos, the MBA, who thinks the old days were better. Go figure.”

Holiday stress isn’t just for families. It affects businesses, too. But this year, alleviate that stress and keep your office and business running smoothly with this quick guide to everything you need to know about office celebrations, holiday time off and end-of-year bonuses.

Bonuses 101
According to a recent study by Hewitt Associates, most American companies (65%) don’t offer holiday bonuses. In fact, more than half (51%) have never offered a holiday bonus. Of those 33% of employers who will give a holiday bonus, they’ll typically write a bonus check of about $200 per employee or spend $25 on gift certificates for each staffer. Other companies will opt to proffer an edible bonus along the lines of a turkey or ham.

But whether you are in the ranks of companies who are steadfast in offering holiday bonuses or those that have moved to performance-based bonuses (bonuses based on overall company performance and profitability) they key is communication.

If your employees know what to expect for the holidays, there is less chance they will be unpleasantly surprised. It is much better to tell them when they are hired, or at least several months before the holiday, whether or not they will receive a bonus. Also, clearly explain what kind of bonus you are giving. You don’t want employees to come in expecting cash and leave with a pumpkin pie.

Time off at the Holidays
Everyone wants time off for the holidays, and trying to honor employee requests fairly, while still effectively running your business, can be frustrating. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The first step is to clearly communicate your policy on holiday time off. Doing so will help avoid many problems. Here are some additional tips for avoiding scheduling hassles:

• Decide early and communicate clearly how you are going to allocate days off for the holidays. Consider posting a schedule showing who is taking what day off. Most companies work on a “first-requested, first-granted” basis. Although most employees will only want a couple of days off over the holidays, it’s possible some might ask for a longer period to take a holiday trip. It’s common practice to limit holiday time off to no more than two weeks.
• Pay attention to holiday rollovers. This can cause headaches in the next calendar year. You might consider stipulating that only a limited amount of unused vacation time can be rolled over into the next year.
• If you own or operate a company that must be staffed on the holidays, ask for volunteers for working those days and offer them time off later in exchange.
• Employees who have used up their vacation time might request to take a day off over the holidays without pay. Make sure your employees understand your policies for unpaid leave and the permissions required. Agree well in advance about time away from the workplace.

Office Parties
It’s perfectly natural for your employees to want to share some holiday cheer by having an office party. Some companies decide to go to the expense of throwing a party at a restaurant or hotel; others opt for an after-hours party in the office.

One of the most serious issues concerning an office party is the serving of alcohol. Here are a few issues you will need to keep in mind:

• Alcohol should not be the main attraction at the party. Statistics clearly show that alcohol-related deaths increase sharply over the holidays, and if someone is injured after leaving your party, you could be held liable for serving him or her too much alcohol.
• Remember, coffee cannot sober people up. That takes time, and it usually takes one hour to metabolize one drink. Consider playing games or encouraging conversation to avoid over-consumption. Avoid salty foods that will increase a person’s desire to drink.
• Never serve alcohol to someone who’s under the legal drinking age or ask children to serve drinks.
• If you are serving alcohol, offer a variety of nonalcoholic beverages, and don’t let guests mix their own drinks.
• Stop serving alcoholic drinks at least one hour before the party ends. Make sure you have made arrangements to have guests who may have overindulged driven home. Create car pools with designated drivers or make sure everyone has a taxi.

Here are some other ideas on successful holiday celebrations in the workplace:

• Remember to keep the holidays inclusive. Not everyone celebrates Christmas. Employees may honor Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or even Ramadan. Your office decorations might reflect this diversity. You should also be sensitive to employees who cannot celebrate the holidays, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses.
• Think of alternative parties that can save you some money and still provide fun for your employees: potlucks in the conference room, cookie exchanges (making sure the recipes accompany the cookies, of course!), an afternoon tea, a morning pastry party or a party for the children of your employees.
• If you are thinking about having a secret Santa party with gift exchanges, make sure all of your employees support your idea before you move forward with those plans.

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