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Halloween At Your Place of Employment

Written by: Jennifer Loftus

Article Overview: Ever wonder if celebrating Halloween in the office would offend your employees? Or maybe you've always wanted to have that Halloween celebration, but didn't want to step on anybody's toes. Even if you've started planning for your Halloween function at work, did you know you might be breaking the law? This article is your one-stop shop for all things Halloween Celebration in the office.

Halloween At Your Place of Employment

October 31st will be here in a few short days. As it approaches, HR departments may be presented with an interesting challenge. Is it possible to celebrate Halloween at work without unintentionally upsetting some employees? Some may think the answer is no. However, with a look into the tradition and understanding why some employees may have concerns, it is possible to strike a balance between having a celebratory atmosphere with professionalism. Perhaps this year, your organization can come up with a creative way of meeting this challenge!

Brief History of Halloween

Some people may not be aware, but Halloween is actually an interesting combination of three different celebrations (http://www.infoplease.com/spot/halloween1.html). The name Halloween is actually a variation on the phrase All Hallows Eve. This was the day before All Saints Day, which is November 1st, hence why Halloween is always on the 31st. All Saints Day is a feast day to remember the saints and martyrs. All Souls Day follows on November 2nd. On this day, prayers are made on behalf of deceased loved ones. In some observances, the use of “soul cakes” is involved. These soul cakes, as well as different forms of alms, were given to the poor in exchange that they offer a prayer for the dead. In some areas, the poor would go “souling,” where they would go to the homes of the wealthy and ask for soul cakes and alms. Also around November 1st the Celtic festival Samhain was typically celebrated by Celtic observers. Because of the relatively closeness in dates, many believe that these activities were possibly moved up to promote conversion to the Christian religion. Regardless of the speculation, it does seem that the modern day observations of Halloween, such as trick- or- treating and jack-o-lantern traditions, may have borrowed from or been inspired by these ancient celebrations.

Why it May Appeal as a Celebration at Work

In order to promote a friendly organizational culture, many turn to small gatherings and celebrations. During these events, employees and employers get to know each other better, creating more effective working relationships. Halloween may be included as a nice celebration to include in an organization for many reasons. For example, if employees have children, some organizations may explore getting them involved in the celebration, whether it’s preparing a Jack-o-lantern or finding the perfect costume. Additionally, Halloween comes at a time of year that’s typically quieter than the November and December holiday rush. During these two months, workers will be busy preparing for family visits and shopping for gifts, which may make it difficult to make arrangements for an office gathering at the end of the year http://ezinearticles.com/?Fall-is-a-Great-Time-For-a-Small-Business-Or-Corporate-Halloween-Office-Party&id=1360619).

Objections?

Even with the appeal of having an organization enjoy the fun that often accompanies Halloween, some still may not want to partake. Take the example of an HR manager in Washington D.C. (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_10_45/ai_67414173/pg_2?tag=artBody;col1). After creating a Halloween-themed happy hour, she was shocked when two of the employees in the small firm refused to walk in the conference room, stating it would be “devil worship” if they partook. Human Resource professionals understandably try to avoid situations like these, and therefore avoid making relaxing gatherings such as office parties. It is also possible that an employee may request Halloween off as a religious observance. Additionally, others may feel as though the effort expended for a gathering is ‘frivolous.’ No matter the reason, it is clear that there is a need for sensitivity. Simply making such office functions an option can help reduce the possible awkwardness of workers not wanting to participate. Surely, these employees will appreciate not feeling obligated to participate if they have the option of not participating.

What to Consider if You Are Creating a Halloween Function

Besides making sure that an organizational function is employee sensitive, there are other legal things to consider when creating a Halloween function:

• Workplace Violence & Cyber Harassment
• Religious Accommodation and Time Away

Workplace Violence & Cyber Harassment - A 2000 article in HR Magazine (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_10_45/ai_67414173/pg_3?tag=artBody;col1) explained a scenario where a worker may come to work costumed, and perhaps carrying a toy weapon. This same article also suggested that a worker could send a “holiday” themed e-mail that may be considered Cyber harassment. To avoid both scenarios, HR managers should be sure to make clear outlines as to how workers should conduct themselves if costumes are allowed and if online participation will be involved. The function should be a time to relax and have fun, but also uphold the organization’s professionalism.

Religious Accommodation and Time Away - The same SHRM article also noted that some may wish to take the day off as a religious observance. Additionally, if your organization’s function permits employees’ children to participate, some may ask for time to gather their children in order for them to participate. HR professionals must be certain that the rules that apply to these situations are clearly defined and fair. Keep in mind that these same rules can be used in regards to other holidays or other office functions besides the one particular one that is being planned at the moment.

To Have a Halloween Celebration, or to Not Have a Halloween Celebration

In the end, the decision to have Halloween fun in your workplace is yours. It is important for an organization to come together and share laughs. How an HR professional plans to create these functions is entirely up to his or her creative notions. Perhaps throughout the year the organization can run different types of functions so employees who, for various reasons, may not want to participate in one function can still feel part of the group. Having a spontaneous luncheon to celebrate the end of a successful quarter, or a yearly spring picnic, can supplement as other functions the organization can adopt. In the end, as long as these sum total of these functions allow employees to come together as workmates, teammates, and friends, then the function has served its purpose.

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Article Tags: all hallows eve, all saints day, alms, brief history of halloween, celebratory atmosphere, celtic festival samhain, christian religion, feast day, halloween1, history of halloween, hr departments, jack o lantern, november 1st, november 2nd, october 31st, organizational culture, prayer for the dead, saints and martyrs, samhain, soul cakes



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