halloween
NaeNae55
3,243 Posts
What are you doing for your employees for Halloween this year? Are your employees dressing up Friday? Are you having any kind of office luncheon or get-together? Prizes for best dressed or something else?
Comments
We will have a downtown trick-or-treat starting at 3:30 this Friday afternoon. It will run until 5:15 – 5:30. We always have between 800 and 1,200 kiddos show up for the event. All of the downtown merchants are involved and all are handing out goodies to the kids.
Just curious… is your city celebrating Halloween on Sunday night or have they changed it to Friday or Saturday evening?
I do a lot of research/reading on workplace diversity and there seems to be a consensus that between inappropriate costumes and references to demons and magic Halloween can be fertile ground for harassment complaints. Have any of you ever encountered this in real life?
There was a problem once with Valentine's Day. A supervisor decided to use the holiday as an opportunity to help his employees bond with one another so he encouraged them to exchange valentines. (No, I did not know anything about it in advance.) One of the employees received a card from her coworker that had a picture of a monkey on it along with some cute phrase. The recipient was very offended because she believed the sender was saying she looked like a monkey. Another employee received a card from the same sender with a picture of a prairie dog and also became very offended. It was an ugly mess and took about two days to restore peace in the department. As far as I know, the employees involved never spoke to one another again.
Sharon
We have often had costume contests and one year we had a pumpkin carving contest. Actually, we switched from the costume contest because I became very aggravated that the same employee kept winning...for the same costume. I still can't understand why people would vote for it year after year. Especially since thought it was good, it was not great. My boss gave into my frustration and we started switching it up. Last year, and this year, we will draw names for a winner. Last year those who dressed got their names in a pot. This year I gave out some silly games and anyone who turns in a completed game will get their name in. The prize is not big - 2 tickets to the local movie theatre. It is just enough to get the employees a little involved, without being so much as to cause friction from those who lost. The games are silly and fun so I hope it lightens people up a little. Some fun now and then is a good thing.
We try to take advantage of every opportunity that will bring an atmosphere of community and positive feelings. Of course, in my case a certain situation was negating the fun, so we changed it up a bit so as not to lose the 'opportunity.'
We also allow employees to decorate for other holidays, as long as they don't offend other employees. We have Thanksgiving Dinner, a holiday party in December, and take the employees out for Employee Appreciation in April. Employees decorate for some of these events, and a few do for the 4th of July.
I guess it really comes down to your definitions of 'workplace' and 'kindergarten.'
Its time to put away the nap mats and little cups of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers and get back to work.
By the way, I am taking over the position of Forum Curmudgeon. Its been vacant since Ray A and The One We Don't Speak Of left.
The forums been all rainbows and puppies since and its high time somebody stepped in and put an end to this nonsense.
It's funny that you say that, Dutch, because around here the banks have historically been among the businesses who have the most fun with Halloween! When I was a teller, back at the dawn of time, the highlight of our day on Halloween was to go to the bank across the street to show off our costumes and see what they were wearing and how they were decorated. And we always kept lots of Halloween candy and welcomed kids trick-or-treating throughout the day...several of the daycares and preschools would always come visit us and it was great fun to see the little ones in their costumes.
We used to have costume contests between the departments, each department would pick a theme and we'd have judges decide on whose was the best. The prize was a pizza party for the winning department. Some of our departments still do it to the hilt, although this department generally doesn't do as much as we used to. We don't get trick-or-treaters off the street in this department, but I still always make sure to have Halloween candy on hand because some of the employees bring their little ones in.
Its time to put away the nap mats and little cups of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers and get back to work.
By the way, I am taking over the position of Forum Curmudgeon. Its been vacant since Ray A and The One We Don't Speak Of left.
The forums been all rainbows and puppies since and its high time somebody stepped in and put an end to this nonsense.[/QUOTE]
Um. Ok. But I think you better work harder at it. So far you're just making me smile.
Although maybe this forum needs a new Curmudgeon... there are very few that ever post any more.
I know. It's like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The pod people have taken Paul and replaced him with a grouchy podster!
Sharon
PS: Just so you'll know, the pod people have the whole look alike thing down pat but are still working on reproducing personality.
::alien::
....playing an instrument (in knickers)
I also have it on good authority that you vote Democratic and wear comfortable shoes.
It's all good though. As long as hubby loves me the world is a happy place.
snicker snicker...I just couldn't resist.
Obviously, we like parties, but we also work very hard and have a reputation for being a great place to work. It's a great morale booster and great recruiting tool.
You wouldn't mind a couple extra people at the pot luck would you?
My guess is they may come "dressed" as office workers and maintenance men.
I dressed up today. I am wearing jeans and an orange shirt. I wrote "October 30th" on the back of the shirt. I am bummed because so far no one has figured out what I am. They all just look confused. Anyone out there who can figure out what I am (without having already seen it)?
Early?
.
I'm sure your right, Paul. But today I am actually [I][B]trying[/B][/I] to be different.
The great part is that it will work on Halloween too. Of course, it would have been so much better if anyone had actually got it!