5 common mistakes to avoid during the holiday season - HR edition

As HR professionals, you're often the ones looking beyond the festive cheer of the holiday season to ensure that it runs smoothly for both your employees and your business. Between the balance of professional and personal commitments, fluctuating workload demands, and a sharp increase in time off requests, the year-end can bring a lot of challenges. That's why it's crucial for HR teams to have a clear plan in place to maintain employee productivity, enhance morale, and ensure compliance. 

Here are five common mistakes that HR teams should avoid to navigate the holiday season with confidence and minimal stress:

Mistake #1: Not planning workload and time off in advance

One of the most pressing challenges that HR teams face during the holiday season is the sudden surge in employee leave requests. Last-minute leave approvals can increase the workload for other team members, leading to stress, errors, and disengagement. It can also lead to customer dissatisfaction, since high-priority deadlines may get pushed, and the overall service quality can take a hit. Not having a well-defined system in place to structure employee leave requests can disrupt schedules, affecting both your business and employee experience. 

Tip: Encourage managers to initiate discussions with their team about leave plans and the team's workload as early as October or November. They can come up with a shared calendar to see each other's leave schedules so that it's easy to plan the workload, avoid overlaps, and maintain smooth operations. You can also set a cut-off date to receive planned leave requests from your employees. Be sure that managers identify critical roles and assign backup resources for those roles.

Mistake #2: Not recognizing employee contributions

During the holiday season, HR teams can get busy with office parties, leave requests, workload management, and compliance checklists. When recognition is overlooked, employees who work hard to meet year-end goals may feel their efforts are unnoticed. This can lower morale and hurt their festive spirit.

Tip: As part of your year-end holiday parties, have a separate slot for your recognition activities. You can include personalized thank-you notes, written by managers and colleagues, as part of your employee gifts. During company meetings, managers can highlight their team's wins and accomplishments, and they can use internal forums to appreciate members. You can also have a recognition wall along with your other holiday decor so that employees can leave little notes of appreciation for their peers.

Mistake #3: Not laying down guidelines for office celebrations

Lack of clear policies on expected workplace behavior can negatively impact safety, culture, and your company’s reputation. When professional boundaries blur, employees may offend peers through excessive drinking, uncomfortable comments, or other inappropriate behavior. Without guidance, these issues can escalate and have lasting consequences for individuals and the organization.

Tip: It’s helpful to outline expected behavior at office parties in your company handbook. When sending out party invitations, gently remind employees that workplace etiquette and policies still apply at all celebrations. You can also consider offering alcohol-free drink options to keep the festive spirit high while minimizing the risk of overconsumption. If managers notice any concerning behavior, they should be prepared to step in early. During activities like Secret Santa or White Elephant, guide employees on choosing gifts that are thoughtful, appropriate, and sensitive to workplace norms.

Mistake #4: Overlooking year-end compliance

With the year-end rush, it's easy for compliance-related tasks to slip through the cracks. Forgetting to update employee records, renew certifications, update HR policies, process loss-of-pay requests for employees, and finish statutory filings can subject your organization to hefty penalties and legal complications. It can even damage the trust employees and other stakeholders have in your organization. Staying on top of these tasks ensures a smoother transition into the new year and reinforces your organization’s commitment to accuracy and accountability.

Tip: It's a good idea to have a year-end checklist that you can revisit every year to ensure compliance. It should touch upon documentation, filings, audits, and other policy updates. Create the checklist based on the national and regional employment laws that govern your organization. You can also schedule a meeting with your finance, payroll, legal, and leadership teams to ensure that all of you are aligned consistently before the year-end closure.

Mistake #5: Excluding global and remote teams in the celebrations

With hybrid workplaces and remote work becoming more and more common, not making efforts to include your remote employees in your holiday parties can affect their morale and make them feel unwelcome. The exclusion, whether due to different time zones, cultural differences, or virtual issues, can make them feel lonely and disconnected from the rest of the workforce. At a time when inclusion matters the most to employees, office parties should bring everyone together, irrespective of their location.

Tip: Consider the time zone difference while deciding on your office parties and ensure that you offer comfortable virtual participation options. If it doesn't work out, encourage managers to host team-specific parties so that it's easy to bring people together. Be sure to ship your holiday gifts to your remote employees well in advance. To help everyone feel included, consider a global festival and be mindful about holiday activities. You can also encourage employees to share more about their customs during the party. Asynchronous engagement activities, a virtual holiday wall, holiday recipe exchanges, and workplace decoration contests can also be effective.

Wrapping up

The holiday season can be a reflective and rewarding time when HR teams lead it with clear communication and inclusive planning. We hope these tips better equip you to avoid common mistakes and take proactive steps to create a supportive holiday environment.