Halloween is coming soon, and whether you’re ready for it or not, your employees are already working on their costumes and buying fun-sized candy bars. It’s time for you to think about your policies for celebrating this entertaining, but potentially tricky, holiday.

This year, October 31 falls on a Saturday, so many offices will be spared dealing with the actual “day of,” but Friday afternoon is sure to be a popular time for people to celebrate with colleagues who they don’t see on weekends. Many people will be wondering if they can bring their children to the workplace (they love to show off the little ones in costume), so you should plan now whether a “family” event makes more sense for your workforce, or if an “employees only” gathering would be a better choice for your organization.

In the blog post “Watch Out for Halloween Hi-jinx,” HR blogger Susan M. Heathfield points out that office celebrations can be motivational and boost morale. However, she warns:

When employees fail to take sensitivity, diversity, and honoring differences to heart, law-breaking, morale-busting situations can occur in the office.

This may seem over-the-top — it’s just a simple kids’ holiday, some insist — but it’s HR’s job to be aware of these possibilities. With a little planning and sensitivity, there is a way to balance celebration with professionalism.

“Halloween At Your Place of Employment,” by Jennifer Loftus, delves more deeply into these issues. Loftus notes that while most people consider Halloween an innocuous holiday, some view it as genuinely occult and would object to taking part. On the other side of the coin, some pagans consider Halloween a religious holiday (and may ask for the day off). Other workers won’t have any opinion beyond Halloween being a frivolous waste of time! A good human resources worker will be ready for all these points of view, and more. Make it crystal-clear that any celebration is optional, and try to come up with some kind of time limit or activity window to focus the celebration so the whole day is not lost.

Beyond the realm of personal beliefs, Halloween opens up all kinds of legal concerns due to wild costuming and play-acting behavior. For instance, fake weapons and mock violence can be frightening to bystanders, and can even call up ambiguous messages regarding the serious issue of workplace violence. Between the party atmosphere and the strange attire, it is definitely NOT a day for HR to take off. You’ll want to have issued some kind of policy beforehand, and then you’ll want to be on the scene to (nicely) enforce it.

The Wall Street Journal takes on the issue of costumes in “Beware of Workplace Horrors: Office Halloween Do’s and Don’ts“:

Employers will probably want to lay down the ground rules beforehand when it comes to costumes, said Michael Karpeles, head of the labor and employment group at Goldberg Kohn, a Chicago-based law firm. “It’s OK to allow people to dress up, but I think that companies should let their employees know that certain types of costumes are not appropriate – if they’re especially revealing, for example,” he said. Also shy away from disturbing, horror costumes or ones with religious themes that might rub co-workers the wrong way. And remember, office policies such as those regarding sexual harassment don’t take a holiday at work events.

For more on this topic, check out “Costumes at Work? Avoid Liability Nightmare at Halloween.” Steve Miller, a partner at Fisher & Phillips, a national labor and employment law firm, writes: “Costumes that are sexually provocative, carry a political or social message, or are otherwise simply inappropriate for interacting with colleagues and clientele, could lead to a liability nightmare for employers.” Some of his top tips for HR professionals to have a successful Halloween holiday are:

• Clearly communicate costume guidelines in advance. If employers opt to allow costumes on Halloween, they should send an e-mail or memo beforehand reminding employees that they are permitted to do so, but must use good taste and judgment.
• Rewind the clock to last Halloween. Think about any feedback the company received from employees or customers last year. If the majority of the staff opted out of dressing up, perhaps the company should re-evaluate whether costumes are a fit for the company culture. If the holiday went smoothly and most people participated, it may be a positive celebration for the company.
• Offer alternative celebrations. Companies should create a program that works for everyone. Rather than a policy of we’re dressing up in costumes and you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to, host a company potluck or luncheon where staff can still celebrate Halloween with something fun.

What is your workplace planning this Halloween? Are you doing anything special in terms of a party or a costume contest? Are you planning on issuing any kind of guidelines? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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