Halloween & The Workplace
Beware, Halloween is right around the corner!
You just picked out your costume, so now what? It’s important to remember that if you plan to wear that costume to work or decorate your office space, you must always consider your audience. To help prevent any scary situations, here are five things to think about:
1. Holiday Decorating Policy. Always check to make sure your company doesn’t have a policy or restrictions on certain decorations. For safety reasons, it is common for companies to prohibit items such as open flame candles, electrical lights and fog machines. Better to be safe than sorry!
2. Simplicity is Key. Wearing elaborate or heavy costumes can present some complications or snags in being able to perform your daily tasks. After 8 hours of trying to maneuver through your work day, it might not be worth the trouble. Instead, dig out those cat ears, witch hats and pumpkin t-shirts and call it a festive and successful workday!
3. Holidays Don’t Cancel Out the Dress Code. Everyone should continue to follow the standard for dress in their workplace even on Halloween. In recent years, it seems that almost any costume can be modified to become “sexy.”, however, just because it is a holiday, it doesn’t mean that the company’s dress code policy doesn’t apply.
4. Stay Clear of Controversy. One person’s idea of a funny costume may not be the same as another’s. Avoid costumes that could be insensitive to someone culture, religion, political stance, or related to a recent hot-button news story.
5. Find Other Ways to Celebrate. Instead of dressing up, place some sweet treats on your desk. Another option is to plan a department lunch and decorate pumpkins that can be displayed in your work space. While many companies encourage healthy eating habits, there’s nothing wrong with indulging a little during the holidays!
If your company is restricting what you can do to celebrate this year, don’t take it personally. The people who make these decisions want to keep everyone’s best interests in mind.