The holiday season can be a joyous time to come together and celebrate with colleagues. However, employers must also be aware of the issues that arise during this time of year. Below, we look at three common issues that employers may face in the workplace.
As December draws closer, many employers are preparing to host their annual office parties. Employers may be held liable for conduct of attendees at a workplace party even if an incident occurs after a guest has left the party. The employer is exacerbating the risk of potential injury when hosting an event where alcohol is provided. Employers should take measures to mitigate the increased risk that comes with being a social host. These preventative measures include:
In our multi-cultural society, employers should remember that all employees may not engage in the same holiday celebrations. Employers should take care not to unintentionally discriminate against employees because their religious beliefs don’t align with the majority in the workplace. In particular, employers should consider the following:
Most employers are aware that they must provide certain statutory holidays to employees under the Employment Standards Act. In British Columbia, December 25th (Christmas Day) and January 1st (New Years’ Day) are statutory holidays. December 26th (Boxing Day) is a statutory holiday for federally regulated employers but not for provincially regulated employers. However, employers may wonder if they are able to shut down the office for a period of time during the holidays.
Employers may want to close down during the holiday season because business is slow and many employees will be taking time off regardless. It may be a convenient opportunity to save in operating costs. Employers are permitted to close their offices for the holidays and can require employees to take vacation at a certain time at the employer’s discretion or may provide unpaid time off, but should keep in mind the following considerations: