Surviving the Silly Season
It’s that time of year again; when the mercury rises, the city empties and suits are swapped for shorts and sunscreen. But before racing off, consider these simple strategies to help you rest even easier over the holidays.
Party politics
Most of us were amused by “The Office” Christmas Party special (ABC television); probably because we could identify with the questions of professional conduct it raised. The “silly season” is generally a time for winding down towards summer sanctuary. It can also be a period of complacency with regards to office protocol.
While Christmas and year-end generally promote a sense of cheerfulness, this time of year can also lead to a lapse in formality, particularly in the case of office parties. This is not necessarily a bad thing, until we add alcohol to the mix. Scenes of disorder and lewd behaviour may be funny to some, but they represent a serious breach of conduct to others.
Every employer has a moral and legal obligation to provide a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment in all its forms. Legislation and individual business protocols outline the boundaries of professional and personal behaviour in the work environment and these boundaries apply equally to office functions held off-site.
A lack of decorum is never a good way to make friends or influence people. While managers carry the responsibility of role modelling appropriate behaviour, workers are expected to demonstrate a basic level of respect and courtesy towards their peers. So be mindful of your behaviour and how it may affect the people around you.
Leave
For any business, planning for staff leave periods is critical to limiting disruption to operations and to budgeting for leave expenditure. Balancing the needs of the staff and the business is particularly important with regards to the Christmas and summer holidays, when most staff seek time off to spend with their families.
- Leave arrangements must be agreed between management and individual employees;
- Staff should not accrue more than 30 days annual leave (inclusive of a pro-rata entitlement) unless special circumstances, such as planned extended holidays and family issues, are permitted by senior management. These cases may stipulate leave with one month’s notice;
- If an organisation plans to shut down or operate with minimum staff over the Christmas/New Year period, employees may be required to take annual leave at this time. In this instance, staff should be given one month’s notice of this requirement.
Whatever the arrangement, a mutual consensus between employee and employer is desirable. An understanding of the needs of both parties will help nurture a positive working environment, which is good for the individual and good for business.
Disclaimer:The information in this article is not intended to be a complete statement of the law relating to the issues raised. Accordingly, no person should rely on this information without first obtaining specific advice from Brendan Kelly of our office. | 
