Date published: 31st October 2023

Halloween festivities can help to boost morale in the workplace with it sometimes being common practice for people to participate in spooky activities and dressing up. However, what can start as a treat can often turn into a tricky situation if certain rules are not adhered to. One employee's innocent fun might be another employee's Halloween horror, and it is the employer’s responsibility to manage any eerie events sensitively to ensure inclusivity and avoid any potential discrimination issues. 

Hannah Dowd, Employment Solicitor at Jackson Lees, shared some top tips for your HR team to consider to ensure you don’t have any corporate frights. 

How to ensure Halloween goes down a treat 

  • Avoid costumes that are risqué or offensive – It is important for employers to set guidelines and for employees to think carefully about what they will wear when allowing costumes in the workplace. Distasteful costumes that could cause offence or are controversial, such as religious costumes, political figures or cultural stereotypes, should be avoided. It is important that employees can still also carry out their job while in costume, so employers should advise employees that costumes must meet work safety requirements and comply with the workplace’s dress code. 

  • Be mindful of those who don’t want to participate – Halloween is not everyone’s cup of tea and that’s fine. However, employers must make the workplace inclusive for everyone so may choose to make alternative arrangements for those who want to opt out, for example allowing them to work from home for that day.  

  • Set guidelines for going off-site – Some workplaces really like to get into the Halloween spirit, with a full-blown event that can be taken off-site. However, even in these seemingly unrelated settings, there remains a substantial link to the workplace, and it is important to be aware of potential legal hazards that could turn ghoulish. Employers should make employees fully aware of clear guidelines and expectations well in advance of any events. They should also remind employees of the company’s policies and whether they are extended to off-site. If an unfortunate incident does happen, although it is off-site, it should still be addressed promptly, inline with company policies and procedures.