7 Keys to Frightfully Perfect Office Halloween Celebrations

Does the thought of letting your staff dress up to celebrate Halloween in the workplace send shivers down your spine? Here are seven ways to take the fear out of office Halloween celebrations and turn the day into a treat for your staff.

Scared to Death of Scaring Your Customers? 7 Guidelines for Office Halloween Celebrations

Given the popularity of Halloween in the U.S., you shouldn’t be surprised if your staff want to dress up and celebrate at work on October 31st. Here are seven guidelines that can make it possible for employees to celebrate Halloween at the workplace without scaring off your customers.

Consumer spending on Halloween has grown at a rate of over 60% over the last ten years, the fastest-growth rate for any holiday. In fact, 33 million Americans plan to attend or throw a Halloween party this year, and some of these parties will occur in the workplace.

This may present few complications for organizations who do not have customers on-site; however, even then if costumes present a compromise compared to regular dress code or office attire guidelines, it can be a problem. In retail settings, offices and work places where customers will be present, business owners may have legitimate concerns about whether it’s appropriate for employees to celebrate Halloween at work.

If you are filled with fright about the thought of employees dressing up for Halloween in ways that could compromise your brand (or even scare your customers), you may be able to make the day a real treat for both employees and customers alike by setting a few basic guidelines for your Halloween office party or the costumes that employees can wear on the job.

7 Guidelines for Office Halloween Celebrations

Adopt an Official Halloween Office Theme

From office or retail Halloween decorations to costumes, adopting an official theme can provide boundaries which allow employees to express their creativity and demonstrate their love of Halloween without making customers (or other employees) uncomfortable.

Put Your Brand on Halloween

Create a Halloween costume that is unique to your brand and provide special uniforms, t-shirts or even all-out costumes for employees to wear on Halloween, and distribute branded candies to customers who come in on October 31st (or all month!)

Set Halloween Celebration Hours

It might be preferable for your business to set aside hours at the end of the workday or hold an after-hours Halloween party for employees to celebrate Halloween with their co-workers.

Ask for the Ability to Pre-Approve

Since employees are brand ambassadors while on the job, setting up costume guidelines or requirements, and requiring that employee Halloween costumes are pre-approved is not unreasonable.

Invite Customers to Participate

Can you imagine arriving at a party only to find out you were the only one who did not know they should wear a costume? Use text, email and social media updates to let your customers know that they are welcome to come and show off their costumes with your staff as you celebrate Halloween at work.

Have a Contingency Plan

If an employee arrives at work in attire that could damage your brand or make customers or co-workers uncomfortable, it’s important that you have a contingency plan to allow them to go home and change or cover up with brand-wear while on the job.

Discuss It!

If you have good reasons for limiting the ways in which employees will be allowed to celebrate Halloween at work or would prefer that it not be celebrated in your workplace at all, the easiest way to forestall misunderstandings is to be frank with employees about the restrictions you place on office Halloween celebrations as well as the reasons why.