• Swindon & Wiltshire Experts
• Wednesday December 18 2024
• Author Name: Peter Jones

Be wary of the Secret Santa pitfalls this Christmas – the HR Dept

For any businesses planning to run a Secret Santa for gift giving this year, the advice from Swindon HR experts The HR Dept is to be careful what you buy.

We all enjoy Secret Santa. But while a jokey or saucy gift may seem a good idea, it could lead you into hot HR waters.

We hope we don’t sound too ‘Bah, humbug!’ and we certainly aren’t trying to put a dampener on Christmas, but it is the time of year when employers and employees can slip on a banana skin – or should that be a mince pie?

Whoever is organising the Secret Santa should ensure everyone has an opportunity to take part, even if they don’t celebrate Christmas, and equally that it’s fine for them to opt out.

Remind people to be respectful of boundaries with their gifts – what one person considers funny may not be so well received by someone else.

While we’re all in the festive spirit, bosses need to be particularly aware of their obligations towards staff.

Keep in mind the Working Time Regulations and its 48-hour maximum working week (unless opt outs are in place). If you have temporary staff in, they’ll still need proper contracts, adequate training, and don’t forget health and safety.

And make clear to staff your expectations in the event of extreme weather, like Storm Darragh, which triggered a red weather warning.

Flooding, high winds and snow all create dangerous travel conditions, or make some routes impossible.

Make clear to staff that you still expect them to attend work where it is safe/possible to do so. But have contingencies in place to manage scenarios where they cannot get in.

And for those yet to have their Christmas party, please bear in mind that a survey conducted a few years ago found one in ten people had been disciplined or even dismissed for misbehaving at the office Christmas party.

Before you go ahead, check you have up-to-date disciplinary and grievance policies, and set expectations by reminding staff that parties are an extension of the workplace and so are still subject to the same rules.

Apart from that, have fun and happy Christmas!