To help reduce the overload that tends to happen as we slide into the end of year, we’ve got a checklist of key things to get done so you are ready for the silly season and all the craziness it brings.
Will you be shutting down over the Christmas/New Year period and if so, have you notified your employees? Will it be a total shutdown, or do you require a skeleton crew to remain working or on call? Communicating early is a requirement in many awards but it’s also good management as it will allow your team to plan their work schedules and be fully across the closure dates enabling them to maximise their leave time so they can get some solid R&R in and be ready for a brand new year.
2.Annual leave and staffing requirements
Whether or not you are having an enforced shutdown, there will be employees who wish to take other time in the December/January period. You will need to look at how you are managing your leave approvals so that your business can still function effectively across this period. Be clear as to how you will approve leave requests – it may be first come, first served or a fair rotation based on who had time off last year and who missed out. Whatever you decide, communicate the process in advance to avoid confusion and to allow everyone the opportunity to have their leave requests submitted in a timely manner.
3.Parties – should you?
We are fully in favour of celebrating the year that was with your team. The past few years have been challenging and while we haven’t had lockdowns this year, getting our businesses back up and running at full capacity while we navigate changing isolation rules, labour shortages, anxiety about group settings and heading back into the workplace and everything else that 2022 has managed to throw our way.
Of course, we need to pop on our HR hat - which is NOT the same as a party pooper hat - and say that you need to be very aware of your obligations and make sure your team know theirs. We have more information here that will outline what you need to know because none of us want to kick off January with a Fair Work matter arising from a Christmas party!
4.OHS is still in force
Even if you have your Christmas party away from your workplace, OHS legislation is still in play. Alcohol can bring asunder many a well-intentioned celebration so choose your venue wisely and verify that responsible service of alcohol is in play.
5.And so are your policies
We’ve already mentioned that your team need to make sure they are across all of their obligations but make a point of identifying key policies that will determine expectations around behaviour, in particular those that pertain to harassment, bullying or misconduct. And you may want to mention your drugs and alcohol policy reminding employees that consumption of illicit substances won’t be tolerated and there is an expectation that alcohol will be consumed responsibly. It also won’t hurt to remind your team about your social media policy and that no one is to post any inappropriate photos or any material that would be deemed nasty or discriminatory towards colleagues.
Just a reminder that in 2015, Fair Work found that an employee who was fired for workplace bullying and sexual harassment at a work Christmas party was unfairly dismissed because his employer provided unlimited amounts of free alcohol. What started out as a night of celebration, degenerated into a horrible and costly experience for all involved and nobody wants that!
If you need help with your communication regarding the expectations and obligations around your celebrations, closure periods or annual leave, your favourite HR consultants are here to help so contact us now.
