Don’t Let Halloween Make it Even More So
We’ve dealt with quite a few changes over the past year. Unfortunately, one thing that hasn’t changed is people. Whether your workforce meets at the office or over webcams, Halloween (especially in 2020) is tricky.
There are the usual costume no-nos:
- Cultures/Ethnicities
- “Sexy” Anything
- Excessive Gore
- Black or Brownface
- Body Shaming
- Religious Figures
- Sexism
- Transphobia
- Coworkers
And then there are the 2020 additions:
- Politics/Election
- Candidates, their supporters, news groups, mail-in ballots [Yes, that’s a thing]
- Social Justice
- Protesters, police, Colin Kaepernick
- Anything COVID Related
- Patients, doctors, health officials, the virus itself, similarly-named beers
StraightforWARD Legal Advice:
Whether you plan to allow employees to dress up at the office or if you just have video conferences scheduled, employers should send out notices to remind everyone of Halloween policies.
Worth mentioning: 1) costume no-nos 2) safety codes 3) general dress code 4) activities are voluntary.
Employers should be prepared for some to choose not to participate in Halloween activities, as well as the unfortunate possibility that someone comes dressed in inappropriate attire.
If you have any questions about workplace conduct for Halloween or otherwise, please contact Jennifer Ward at 215-647-6601 or jward@thewardlaw.com.