Association 411: Don’t Let Your Office Halloween Party Turn Into a Nightmare
Throwing an office Halloween party is a great way to boost employee morale and have fun with your colleagues. However, if not handled properly, a Halloween party can create some scary legal and HR problems. Below are a few guidelines to help ensure your party is an enjoyable event for all attendees:
- (1) Create Costume Guidelines. Remember that guy in school who always wore an outrageously offensive costume to the annual Halloween party? You don’t want that guy showing up at your office party. If you are having a costume party, make sure everyone is aware of the rules about costumes. They can include:
- All costumes should adhere to the company’s dress code policy.
- Costumes should not include weapons (fake or real) of any kind.
- Costumes should not be provocative or offensive. If you believe there is a chance that someone could be offended by an employee’s choice of costume, advise the employee not to wear it.
- Avoid political costumes. It is best to avoid discussing politics in the workplace, as it is a very emotional topic for many Americans. If a Donald Trump or Joe Biden shows up at your Halloween party, it may quickly turn into an antagonistic political debate.
- Avoid religious costumes. Religious costumes are always tricky. If a person dresses up as a religious leader of a faith that is not their own, there is a risk people could assume that person is mocking their religious beliefs. Additionally, dressing up as a sexy nun, devil or pope (yes, there actually is a sexy pope costume available on Amazon) will not only violate the company’s dress code, but will likely offend other employees.
- Avoid controversial topics. Don’t permit costumes that make light of tragedies or serious issues. Costumes that perpetuate a cultural stereotype should also be prohibited.
- (2) Prohibit Scare Tactics. Remember how funny it was to jump out of the closet and scare your little brother on Halloween? Unfortunately, that kind of behavior does not go over well in an office environment. Inform your employees ahead of time that Halloween pranks will not be permitted. You don’t want any employee to feel embarrassed, shamed or singled out because they were a target of some ridiculous prank instigated by a co-worker.
- (3) Assess Safety Risks. Carving pumpkins is a common activity at Halloween parties. However, many companies have switched to pumpkin painting to avoid worker’s compensation claims from cuts and injuries from pumpkin carving tools. Additionally, most companies prohibit the use of candles to light up carved pumpkins.
- (4) To Drink or Not to Drink? Having alcohol at work events is always risky. If you do decide to serve alcohol, try instituting a one drink limit.
- (5) Let Everyone Know that Participation is Not Mandatory. There are many reasons that people might not want to participate in the Halloween party. There are people who do not celebrate Halloween because it is a pagan holiday. There are others who just don’t like wearing costumes. Make it clear that everyone is welcome at the office Halloween party, but no one is required to attend. Additionally, costumes should be optional, not mandatory.
Hopefully these guidelines will not take the fun out of your Halloween party plans. Ultimately, you should make sure you are respectful of every employee’s beliefs and values when planning any type of work event. By creating a safe and welcoming environment for your staff, you can boost morale and give employees a real opportunity to create positive relationships with their colleagues.