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Sexy Mister Rogers and the rest of your last-minute ‘what not to wear to work tomorrow’ checklist.

by

Petar Milošević [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

A few years ago, my wife and I were able to convince my younger son (then five years old) that he should consider other costumes beyond his first choice: the “Adult Skeleboner One Piece Costume,” which didn’t glow in the dark like the less-endowed kids’ version he ultimately selected.

He listened to us.

But, I’m concerned that some of your employees won’t use the same good judgment tomorrow if they come to work dressed in costume for Halloween.

In what has become a yearly tradition here at The Employer Handbook of recycling old Halloween-themed posts guiding employers to a litigation-free Halloween, I’m back with this year’s edition.

In the past, I’ve provided links to some best practices and I assure you that any similarities with those contained in the list below are purely lazy coincidental.

  • 6 tips to avoid turning your costume party into an HR nightmare from Jon Hyman at the Ohio Employer Law Blog
  • Don’t let Halloween haunt your workplace: How to manage the holiday’s risks from HR Dive
  • Afraid of Sexual Harassment Claims? Then Be Afraid of Halloween from Dan Schwartz at the Connecticut Employment Law Blog
  • Hosting an Office Halloween Party: Dos and Don’ts from the Evil HR Lady
  • How To Avoid Halloween Horrors At Work from SHRM
  • Workplace Halloween Celebrations Can Lead to Scary Situations also from SHRM
  • Halloween can be more trick than treat for employers from bizjournals.com
  • What HR really thinks about your Office Halloween Costume from Recruitingblogs.com

And if, like my younger son, your employees need more specific guidance on poor-choice Halloween costumes, I suggest that you refer to these lists:

(Bonus tip: Don’t require anyone to participate in any Halloween-themed festivities, especially if they have a religious objection. Unless, of course, you like dealing with the EEOC).

I expect emails from those of you with employees, past or present, who have exercised less-than-stellar wardrobe judgment on Halloween.