Office parties are a fun way to build a team mentality, boost employee morale, and can actually increase productivity if used as a sort of “incentive” in the days leading up to the celebration. Halloween is a common holiday for office parties, since they bring the entertaining addition of costumes into the mix, and can lead to a variety of enjoyable theme ideas, contests and more. However, a Halloween party, or costume party of any kind really, can lead to some issues as well if there are no regulations regarding which costumes are unacceptable for the work environment.
So what wardrobe options should you avoid at the company Halloween bash, or what type of regulations should you put into place as an employer?
- Religious and/or cultural costumes: These can be offensive to fellow employees or even superiors, and that is never a good thing for your career. Choosing costumes that represent a belief system and/or ethnic group can be seen as blasphemous and discriminatory, and could not only hurt feelings, but could result in you losing your job in certain work environments.
- Provocative and/or inappropriate costumes: A costume that could be seen as provocative and revealing (or sexually suggestive) is a big NO when it comes to office attire, regardless of whether or not it’s a party day. This is not only offensive and distasteful, but it’s also against workplace policies in many businesses.
- Political costumes: Choosing a political costume, or even one based on trending hot-button issues, is a poor choice in a public party environment. Why “stir the pot” that could lead to arguments and/or debates that don’t belong in a celebration environment. It’s better to keep politics out of the workplace.
- Complicated costumes: Opting for a costume that has a variety of clasps, buttons, working parts, etc. is a bad idea as it will most likely prevent you from being able to adequately perform your tasks at work. Unless your party is after work hours, or you won’t be expected to perform any duties, choosing a costume that is overly hot, is difficult to move around in, or otherwise keeps you from getting things done is better worn at a party outside of work.
We hope these pointers help you feel confident when choosing your costume this year, and will make your office party a success instead of a wardrobe disaster. Enjoy your holiday fun at work, and enjoy spending time with your team of coworkers. Still looking for a place where you belong as an employee? PHR Staffing Solutions is here to help. We offer top-quality recruiting services for the greater Polk County area and our goal is to help you get hired. Give us a call or apply for one of our current openings here on our site!