Two aspects of HR, which are in focus at the end of December, the Christmas holidays and company dinners / lunches.
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS, WHEN POSSIBLE, YES.
It is a reality that except in exceptional cases, the company is never obliged to provide Christmas holidays, in any case, doing so can be very beneficial for the organization. In certain sectors, certainly not in shops, it is easy to foresee a drop in demand: Indeed, in some sectors Christmas can save the year even being the only time of sale (Christmas lots companies) but in others there is a drop in demand and activity that management can take advantage of to give vacations. It is a question that must be analyzed in each case because it may even be that within the same company some departments may come in handy and others may not.
In any case, from an employee satisfaction point of view, it is always recommended that they be able to reserve some day that allows them to spend more time with their family, which from a broad-minded business management perspective is understood as something beneficial to the company.
With this clear, we must also take into account the legal regulations that apply in each case, which are the Workers Statute and the collective agreement that governs the company. So, unless the agreement says otherwise, the holidays expire in the calendar year, this will mean that the days that the employee has not been taken until December 31, will lose them, unless what, is in a situation of temporary disability or that finds the contract suspended due to maternity, due to illnesses or disabilities derived from pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.
However, there are more and more companies that, along the lines of what we were talking about regarding worker satisfaction, offer the possibility of taking the holidays of the year until the Three Kings holiday. It is also common practice that there are shifts for the enjoyment of holidays during the Christmas holidays. The most normal thing is to establish two vacation shifts, one from Christmas to New Years and another from New Years to Kings.
MEALS / BUSINESS DINNERS
Another aspect to take into account at Christmas from the point of view of HR is the company lunch or dinner. In principle, they must be something beneficial for the company because of what they can mean in terms of team cohesion, improved empathy, support. The fact of sharing moments of leisure at a table also helps to establish the personal ties that in the day to day do not exist between people from different departments or with a different hierarchical situation. That theoretically has to be positive. Although it does not always have to be this way, for example, when exercising leadership with a high communication deficit, low empathy, little equity, or even abuse of authority, it can cause forced assistance, merely superficial that will generate more distance than rapprochement.
In any case, even if your company is an oil raft and you get along as well as the blue summer gang, taking into account that alcohol flows easily in this type of event, it is advisable to always be clear, who is who and know how far you can go to avoid having any displeasure the terrible day after…
Either way, whether or not you enjoyed your Christmas lunch or dinner, whether or not you have a holiday, Merry Christmas!
Source: Waribo Consultores
Author: Juan Antonio García
