Jobcentre managers have declared Christmas decorations a safety hazard and banned staff from using them in offices, according to reports.
Managers have told 400 staff they cannot put the decorations on office ceilings in case someone falls off a desk or chair in the process. Nor must they, “under any circumstances”, put streamers on walls with sticky tape.
The good news is that it should be safe to have a Christmas tree – so long as it is “small”. They should, however, avoid using lights that do not carry a 12-month warranty or have been properly tested, reports The Daily Telegraph.
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The warnings have gone out to staff at two centres in Bolton and another in nearby Farnworth, Greater Manchester.
A spokesman for the Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents the centre staff, said: “This is a real case of Scrooge at a time when staff face uncertain futures. To be told they can’t have Christmas decorations is awful.”
