Festive Season Playbook for Leaders

As the festive season approaches, a time of celebration, competing priorities, and stretched capacity, leaders need clear, calm strategies to keep morale high, productivity steady, and people safe. Last year's guest Ben Watts, HR Expert, distilled practical actions you can take now to set expectations, avoid common pitfalls, and run inclusive, low‑risk celebrations that your team will enjoy. Here's a summary of Ben's top tips.

Festive Season Playbook for Leaders

Keep morale high and productivity steady

• Set priorities early: Publish a simple “must do/nice to do/pause until January” list so teams know what matters most.

• Make capacity visible: Share a leave and coverage calendar; identify critical roles and cross‑cover arrangements.

• Use micro‑milestones: Break year‑end deliverables into weekly checkpoints to reduce last‑minute crunch.

• Flex with guardrails: Offer flexible hours or remote options where possible, paired with clear contactability rules.

• Recognise and recharge: Acknowledge effort, celebrate wins, and encourage people to take breaks and set out‑of‑office messages.

  
  

Avoid common festive‑season pitfalls

• Ambiguity: Vague expectations around availability, deadlines, and response times create stress. Be explicit.

• Uneven workloads: Don’t let a few carry the year‑end burden. Rebalance tasks and say “not now” where needed.

• Last‑minute leave chaos: Set clear cut‑offs and a fair approval process; communicate outcomes promptly.

• Token celebrations: Plan inclusive activities that don’t revolve solely around alcohol or out‑of‑hours attendance.

• Safety blind spots: Treat off‑site and after‑hours events as work‑related; your code of conduct still applies.

Manage expectations around time off, flexibility, and continuity

• Set the ground rules: Re‑share your leave policy, blackout periods (if any), and service level expectations during reduced staffing.

• Publish a coverage plan: Who’s on point for critical functions? Include escalation paths and expected response times.

• Clarify flexibility: Outline what’s acceptable (e.g., shifted hours, remote work) and what requires approval.

• Communicate early and often: Weekly reminders in the lead‑up reduce surprises and help teams plan handovers.

• Protect downtime: Encourage robust handovers, up‑to‑date files, and clear out of office (OOO) messages to minimise interruptions.

Run safe, inclusive festive events

• Make it optional and inclusive: Attendance isn’t mandatory; offer non‑alcoholic options and consider diverse needs and schedules.

• Reiterate conduct standards: Brief managers that workplace policies (respect, safety, harassment) apply on and off-site.

• Manage alcohol risk: Consider drink limits, standard drinks signage, plenty of food and water, and a defined finish time.

• Plan for getting home: Promote rideshare codes or transport guidance; discourage driving after drinking.

• Assign clear roles: Nominate a responsible contact on the day, brief them on incident response, and document any issues.

Holiday readiness checklist (copy/paste for your teams)

• Priorities agreed and published

• Leave, coverage, and escalation plan shared

• Flex rules and service levels confirmed

• Handover notes and OOO messages in place

• Event plan reviewed for inclusion, safety, and transport

• Managers briefed on conduct, bystander action, and closing out incidents

Close with care

Thoughtful planning doesn’t dampen festive spirit; it makes it safer and more enjoyable. Set clear expectations, keep workloads realistic, and design celebrations that everyone can confidently participate in. Your people will feel supported, your operations will stay steady, and you’ll start the new year on the front foot.