Halloween Costume Reminders in the Workplace- Tis the Season

Tis the season for Halloween decorations, office parties and costumes. Holiday parties can be a terrific opportunity for employee engagement, communication, team building and simply having fun with coworkers. There are tremendous benefits to gatherings such as this in the workplace. However, we should recognize when decorations, parties or costumes go awry, we will need to address these concerns. Not all employees want to participate in decorating the office, participate in the office party or wear a costume to work (me included). Leaders need to recognize that workplace rules and dress code policies still exist, while maintaining workplace professionalism. Have fun but be accountable.

Below are my 4 thoughts on Halloween pitfalls:

1. Manger and Supervisor Training: “Some employees may be offended or even afraid to celebrate something they associate with evil, and supervisors need to be sensitive to that…Any parties, department decorations or costume contests should be clearly presented as voluntary, and equal support should be given to those who don’t participate and those who do.”[i]

• What Dress Code: “People magazine and Amazon have identified some popular 2018 Halloween costumes that raise red flags:

2. An inflatable, giant “poop” emoji.
3. A President costume, complete with a garish, comb-over wig.”[ii]

Halloween parties, costume events and even athletic jersey days allow employees to depart from the normal dress code we normally expect at work. However, the dress code policy still needs to be enforced. Advice from SHRM is a simple metric, employees should be covered from shoulders to knees. Organizations should give examples of appropriate and inappropriate costumes, jerseys, or other dress down days to ensure adherence to the dress code and to proactively avoid any future pitfalls. What if an employee violates the policy? Simple, send them home to change or ask them to cover the inappropriate attire. Coach and council or discipline as needed. Set the example and hold set the standard.

• Halloween Decorations: “Generally speaking, I would not advise companies to decorate,” Wilson said. “If employees want to put a small pumpkin on their desk, which can be a personal decision, but perhaps send an e-mail advising all employees that any gruesome or graphic or otherwise distracting decor is not allowed… witches, demons and goblins can be unprofessional and potentially offensive to co-workers and customers.”[iii] 

• Is this Mandatory: The organization should make clear that participation in any Halloween festivities; decorating, party or costumes will be voluntary, and no forced participation.

Seasonal parties can be a magnificent event for team building, communication and having fun as an organization. As leaders, we still need to enforce rules and ensure there are no issues related to inappropriate decorations, dress code violating costumes and/or mandatory parties. Communicate expectations and hold everyone accountable. The tone is always set at the top.

The AI Answer: Halloween Costume Recommendations for Employers in the Workplace

When selecting Halloween costumes for the workplace, it’s important to balance fun with professionalism and respect for diverse beliefs. Here are some key recommendations and ideas:

General Guidelines for Employers

• Make participation optional: Not everyone may want to dress up due to personal, cultural, or religious reasons, so avoid making costume-wearing mandatory 
• Set clear guidelines: Ensure costumes are appropriate, non-offensive, and respectful to all employees. Avoid costumes that could be seen as controversial or culturally insensitive.
• Encourage creativity within professionalism: Costumes should be playful but polished enough to maintain a professional atmosphere.

Work-Appropriate Costume Ideas

• Classic and easy costumes:
  • Rosie the Riveter — simple with a headscarf, button-down shirt, and a flexed arm pose.
  • Wednesday Addams — black dress with a white collar and braids 
• Punny or themed costumes:
  • “Smart Cookie” (wear a cookie-themed outfit with glasses or a graduation cap).
  • ’80s Pac-Man or other nostalgic office-themed costumes.
• Simple and subtle:
  • Dressing as a mime is a foolproof, office-friendly option.
  • Costumes inspired by popular but non-scary characters like the M3gan doll can be conversation starters without being disruptive.
• Last-minute and easy:
  • Many costumes can be put together quickly with items you already have, making them perfect for spontaneous office celebrations.

Final Tips

• Encourage costumes that foster team spirit and inclusiveness.
• Consider hosting a costume contest with categories like “Most Creative” or “Best Group Costume” to engage employees.
• Remind everyone to keep costumes safe and comfortable for a work environment.

By following these guidelines and ideas, employers can create a festive, inclusive, and enjoyable Halloween atmosphere at work!

Halloween in the Workplace: 10 Do’s and Don’ts

1. Communicate a clear intention for the festivities. You can’t plan for everything that may come up during a Halloween celebration. There’s always a chance something unexpected might happen (like the Hulk picking up co-workers), and somebody might get upset—or worse. To avoid Halloween nightmares, be sure to clearly express an intention of creating connection through a secular and respectful approach to Halloween in the office and be prepared to listen to people’s different perspectives about whatever plans you make.
2. Involve employees in Halloween planning. “Organizations should trust employees enough to include them in defining guidelines and ground rules for any Halloween celebration, asking employees to use common sense in their decisions around costumes and celebrations,” said author and HR guru David Ulrich. For example, your organization could set up a celebration committee to brainstorm party ideas, define and communicate guidelines, and manage the party budget.
3. Let people opt out. Allow people who want to opt out of festivities to work from home that day or otherwise be away from the distractions of your Halloween happenings. “Expecting someone to put their head down and work quietly in their cubicle while an office Halloween celebration goes on around them is unrealistic,” DeFee said. 
4. Set guardrails around costumes. Halloween is a time to have fun, not get political or religious or push any other agenda. So, reinforce that costumes must meet work safety requirements and comply with your dress code. It might help to set a theme for costumes, such as video game characters or superheroes. If people are wearing costumes all day in the office, they should also be able to do their jobs while in costume. “Dressing up in the office is fun, but it shouldn’t distract people from doing their work,” Ulrich explained. Emphasize to each employee that even on Halloween, the basics of mutual respect still apply in the office, including wearing attire that does not malign or making fun of any protected group. It’s a good idea to provide specific examples of Halloween costumes that comply with your dress code, as well as those that cross the line.
5. Have costume contests, with prizes. Try breaking the contest into categories such as best monster or superhero costume, most creative team/couple’s costume, or best historical figure costume. The prizes might be company clothing, coffee mugs or other branded swag.
6. Host Halloween-related team trivia, with prizes. Maybe offer quotes from scary films and ask teams to name the film or ask questions about monsters or places associated with Halloween (such as Salem, Mass., or Transylvania). Good Halloween trivia is just an online search away.
7. Decorate the office by theme or area. “One organization I worked with did a ‘trick-or-treat street’ with different floors/areas of their office decorated in a different Halloween-related theme, such as the wild west, space, and Jurassic Park/dinosaurs,” DeFee said.
8. Offer Halloween-related food options. Food choices could involve potluck-style where employees bring in their own dishes, or the organization could provide breakfast or lunch that includes holiday-themed fare such as pumpkin muffins and apple cider. 
9. Have fun and be responsible and respectful. The goal of celebrating Halloween in the office isn’t to scare or trick people, but to treat them to some Halloween-themed camaraderie that enhances the employee experience. Keep the atmosphere of fun at the forefront.
10. Release ’em early. Make sure you end Halloween-related office activities early in the afternoon to give your people enough time to get home for trick-or-treating. (SHRM)

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[i] https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/pages/1015-solutions.aspx

[ii] https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/halloween-at-work-2018.aspx

[iii] https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/halloween-at-work-2018.aspx