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An employer’s guide to Christmas: office parties, religious discrimination, bonuses and more

by Hannah Vickery 23 Sep 2013
An employer's guide to Christmas: office parties, religious discrimination and bonuses

 

Christmas can throw up a number of issues for employers. With Christmas parties, issues surrounding different religions, holiday requests and Christmas bonuses to deal with, organisations will need to make sure they are ready for the holiday season.

Office parties are a particularly big issue for HR professionals, with many having to decide how to ensure employees behave appropriately and how to deal with worse-for-wear workers who turn up late the morning after the big event.

Organisations that keep their offices open over the Christmas period may also have a battle on their hands dealing with conflicting holiday requests from employees.

Keep up-to-date with the latest news and advice on issues facing employers during the festive period with our employer’s guide to Christmas…

Christmas parties

How to ensure acceptable conduct at office parties and other work-related social events

Statement to employees in advance of a Christmas party or similar work-related event

Christmas and New Year working arrangements 2016/17: XpertHR survey

What can employers do to avoid problems arising from work-related social events?

Policy on work-related social events

What issues should employers take into account regarding the timing of a work-related social event such as a Christmas party?

Is the company Christmas party a taxable benefit?

Can employers be held liable for harassment that takes place during a work-related social event?

Can an employer dock the pay of an employee who has arrived at work late the morning after the company Christmas party?

Benchmark your organisation’s Christmas staff celebrations against those of other employers

Religion and belief issues

Should employees who practise faiths other than Christianity be given additional annual leave to enable them to celebrate religious festivals?

Good practice manual: Religion and belief

Can Christian employees refuse to work on the bank holidays that are aligned to a Christian festival such as Easter?

As Christmas is a Christian festival, can an employer still hold a Christmas party if some of its employees belong to other religions?

Christmas bonuses

Is it ever permissible for an employer to withhold bonus payments?

Where an employer has provided employees with a Christmas hamper in previous years is it under any obligation to continue this practice?

Holiday requests

Line manager briefing on annual leave

Good practice manual: Annual leave

Weekly dilemma: Competing holiday requests

Can employees be required to work on bank holidays?

How should an employer deal with an employee who refuses to work on a bank holiday?

Can an employer refuse holiday requests during a particular period?

Letter to an employee requiring him or her to take holiday on specified dates

How to manage bank holidays

Benchmark your organisation’s Christmas and New Year working arrangements against those of other employers

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Personnel Today
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