Employers, Are You Ready for Black Friday?
Author: Marta Moakley, XpertHR Legal Editor
The holiday season can present a very stressful period for employees. With shopping, hosting and family obligations, where does an employee find the time to do everything?
Employers should ensure that the time employees find to do that little extra shopping or holiday card stamping is not during work hours. During the holiday season, employees may be tempted to tend to nonworking matters while "on the clock" - resulting in employee time theft. Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving featuring online sales promotions) presents an ideal opportunity for cyber-slacking at work.
In addition, unexcused absences may result on either Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving featuring sales at brick-and-mortar stores) or other days around the holidays. These dates may coincide with an organization's busiest season, especially if the employer is involved in retail operations or preparing end-of-year reporting. Employee absences during these key periods may affect overall morale and, ultimately, the business's bottom line.
XpertHR has developed the following resources to keep employees on task this holiday season: