Whilst allowing staff to attend work in fancy dress for holidays such as Halloween and Christmas can be an effective way to motivate staff, boost morale and develop a sense of camaraderie, there are a few points to be considerate of to avoid possible negative situations.
The most prominent concern with fancy dress in the workplace is the possibility of discrimination. Certain costumes could be seen as offensive; things as race, age or gender could be deemed offensive by employees of different backgrounds. To avoid the possibility of offending staff members, or allowing them to feel intimidated, it is important to set guidelines regarding what will and will not be tolerated during a dress-up workday.
In a workplace there are many people with different beliefs and opinions. It is necessary that everyone understands that some people may not be willing to dress-up and should not be excluded or forced into participating.
Furthermore, if there are not set rules surrounding employees dressing up during the festive holidays it could lead to a decrease in productivity in the office. People could be distracted by the costumes and could assume as the atmosphere was more relaxed, the rules could be too. Employees should be reminded before the dress-up day that there still is standard of work to be maintained and that not following the rules will be dealt with the same way it would be any other day.
Lastly, the company should also be wary about how customers/clients will view the dress-up day. It could risk the business looking unprofessional and could therefore cause damage to the company reputation.
Overall, it is your decision on whether or not a dress-up day will be appropriate the workplace. Should there be rules set in place, it is likely that a day to celebrate festive holidays could motivate employees; and if done correctly, the reputation of the company may not be hurt.
Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us.
