Rancho Mesa’s Alyssa Burley and Client Technology Coordinator, Brenda Khalil, discuss workplace costume etiquette for Halloween celebrations.

Show Notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Alyssa Burley

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Brenda Khalil⁠⁠

Editor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jadyn Brandt

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “News Room News” by Spence

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transcript

Alyssa Burley: Welcome back, everyone. My guest is Brenda Khalil, Client Technology Coordinator with Rancho Mesa. Today, we’ll be discussing Halloween costumes in the workplace, and how to avoid any HR issues when celebrating at the office.

Brenda, welcome to the show.

Brenda Khalil: Happy to be here Alyssa.

AB: Now, Halloween is right around the corner, and employers may still be trying to decide whether or not they will allow employees to dress in costumes at work.

So Brenda, if an employer does decide to let employees dress up, are they required to have a Halloween policy and if so, what kind of guidelines should they put in place?

BK: Companies are not actually required to have a costume policy in place, but employers should consider instituting one, if they believe costumes could cause an unsafe situation in the workplace. And some examples of items that could lead to safety issues include fake blood, weapons or oversized props. So, setting clear guidelines for what’s allowed can help keep everyone safe in the workplace.

AB: Now, if an employer chooses to allow costumes, what are some of the rules that they should make clear to their staff?

BK: Well, this is an important one. So, offensive or inappropriate costumes should never be worn at work. And that includes outfits that show too much skin, or depict religious, cultural or gender-related stereotypes. And, it’s also best to steer clear from political costumes, too. We don’t want to offend anyone. And overall, staff should stay within normal workplace attire guidelines when deciding what to wear.

AB: These tips might not be obvious to everyone; so should employers remind their staff members about their Halloween costume policies?

BK: Yes, I would say it’s always good to take a proactive approach and remind employees of these rules and policies early on, especially if Halloween falls on a workday. So, employers should send out a company-wide reminder ahead of the holiday highlighting workplace policies and guidelines. And it’s also important to establish a process for reporting and handling issues, if an incident does occur.

AB: Now, some offices will also host Halloween parties for employees during normal working hours.

How should an employer respond if one of their employees refuses to participate in one of those celebrations?

BK: Great question. Although plenty of people will enjoy participating in office costume contests and parties, employers should allow these to be optional. If an employee chooses not to take part in Halloween activities, it may be for cultural or religious reasons, and it’s best not to push them to participate.

AB: Brenda, if listeners have questions about how to navigate Halloween celebrations in the workplace, where can they get more information?

BK: So, clients can reach out to our HR experts via the RM365 HRAdvantage portal.

AB: All right, well, Brenda, thanks for joining me in StudioOne™.

BK: Thanks for having me.