Happy Halloween! It is hard to believe we are already at the end of October and beginning the 2017 holiday season.
Rather than list out the various holidays celebrated by different people throughout these two months, we wanted to provide some general reminders to help you plan your holiday season. We encourage you to ensure that you are being fair and consistent when granting time off or flexible schedules and inclusive if you decide to have holiday themed office celebrations.
- If you have not already done so, prepare and post holiday schedules now. Include the dates you will be open for business and the ones you will be closed.
- If the holidays fall on weekends, address whether you plan to close the day before or the day after the holiday. If so, make sure you let people know by sending out a company notice with the posting.
- Some industries, such as medical or retail, may have normal hours and scheduling or even longer hours. Make sure people are aware of this. It is completely appropriate to state that you have certain ‘blackout’ periods in which no time off may be granted due to business needs.
- Keep in mind that there are several religious and other holidays throughout this period, some of which may be unfamiliar to you. Remember to treat people fairly, even if it is a holiday that you do not know.
- Check your employee handbook to remind yourself of holiday policies, such as who eligible for holiday time off and holiday pay. Make sure you understand how holiday pay is calculated and explain it to those employees who will be receiving holiday pay.