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Bah Humbug…

There are so many workers to feel sorry for at this time of year.  There’s the shop assistants who have already endured endless Christmas mega-mixes, the hospitality teams dealing tactfully with those suffering from too much Christmas cheer and who could forget the endless brussel sprout pealing sessions in professional kitchens up and down the country.  Thank you all for your endless patience.

Christmas Nightmares

But spare a thought too for HR professionals for it’s a time of year when we are on red alert.  My top three annual Christmas nightmares are:

• The Christmas Decorations – invariably put up by someone standing on a swivel chair while we scream “heath & safety”.
• The Secret Santa – how will he/she react to the amusing chocolate body part they’ve been given this year?
• The Christmas Party – or should I say, the morning after the Christmas party  with the “sick”, the insulted or the just plain embarrassed.

 Your Responsibility

Just remember that all of these things are happening in your Company’s time and are your responsibility; yes, even what happens at the Christmas party.  So if you are visited on the morning after by an employee claiming they were harassed at your Company do, find out there was a fight or drug taking, you need to investigate and, if necessary, take disciplinary action just as you would if it had happened anywhere else in your workplace.

In the immortal words of Crimewatch, don’t have nightmares.  Have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.