Halloween: an HR nightmare?

Halloween is Friday! This is the one holiday where people can dress up and pretend to be someone else. There are a lot of companies who like to have a Halloween celebration and it usually is a hit among the staff. But for management, especially HR, it can be a huge headache.
HR is already viewed as the fun police. We make people watch their Ps & Qs and remind them that their joke/behavior can be perceived as offensive. We suck the fun out of everything. Or at least that is what everybody thinks. In reality, we are merely limiting the amount of risk to which the company is exposed.
So before Friday, here are a few things to think about when celebrating Halloween in the workplace.

1. Safety - Can/will the costumes and/or accessories create a safety risk to your employees?
2. Dress Code - Is the costume appropriate. Just because it is Halloween, your employees do not have the liberty to violate your company policies?
3. Offensive - We have all seen some pretty inappropriate things on Halloween. Make sure your employees are not offending anyone with their costume choices.
4. Time - If the company is sponsoring the costume contest, are you giving the employees extra time to change their clothes? How is that being handled according to wage and hour laws?
5. Choice - Employees should have the option to participate or not. They still have a choice which could be based on a protected class such as religion so be careful about making participation mandatory.
6. Candy/Food - Consider everyone. Some of your employees may have restrictive diets and can't have candy or other treats.

As HR, we have an obligation to protect the company and staff. Halloween is scary, but litigation can be even scarier. Keep these things in mind and have a safe Halloween.
Want to hear something else scary? There are only 63 days left until 2015! With that in mind, this would be a good time to revisit your 2014 goals. Please contact me to set up a coaching session where I can help you ramp up for 2015. Email glamhr@gmail.com for more details.