Why HR is so hard at Christmas and everyone should be kind to us.. 🙏🎅

1. Payroll

Double time for Christmas Day, time and three quarters for Xmas Eve. Tronc increase by 'x' divided by 'y' and minus £0.82. Varied depending on age, location and takings. Paid two days before the shift and balanced out in Jan 🙃

Can you hear the wails of HR and payroll teams across the country? 

2. Staff food/presents 💝

Finding the balance between keeping the ops budget in check, and keeping the employees smiling on some crucial shifts.. never easy.

Can employees eat together or do they have to have a lonely feast at staged intervals? Is chocolate an ok gift or are there some dietary restrictions? How do we get gifts to one and all, and when? Who's playing santa? 🎅🤶

Another balancing act between meeting guests needs and upholding cultural pillars expected by employees.

3. The Christmas Party 💃🕺

People want to celebrate but it's the busiest time of the year.. when? Where?! HOW!

If by some miracle a staff party does manage to get booked and goes ahead, HR are always faced with some tricky events to unpick the day after.. 

4. Emotions 🫂

Many people struggle at this time of year and as a result, behaviour can be unpredictable. Some people feel exhausted or grief stricken or miss their family or hate their family. 

This means potentially more mental health support is needed, and often more grievances and disciplinaries crop up, as feelings bubble over into regrettable actions.

HR have to sensitively deal with these situations, and support managers to be understanding whilst holding people to account. 

It really is hard.

5. Staff shortages 😭

Let's face it, not many people like to work at Christmas when the other option is to sit at home in PJ's eating chocolate and turkey sandwiches. Or perhaps go Christmas shopping or visit family. 🦃🍫💝

People often have about a million hours of annual leave to spend before the year's out.

For those who don't get to go away, working a short-staffed shift is especially hard when customers are getting blotto'd on Baileys.

Completing a rota, or helping a manager to do their rota, is especially challenging at this time. 

(But oh, the MD wants extra people on shift and will be dropping in on the night 😬😬)

Please be kind to anyone working in the hospitality industry especially in this season.

For my fellow HR teams, I see you! ❤️❤️❤️