Myer postpones Christmas parties till January

Retail giant Myer has banned staff Christmas parties in December, telling its workers they must postpone celebrations until January 2019.

HRD contacted Myer for comment and a spokesperson said the decision to move the end of year celebrations is to ensure they are “100% focused on customers during the busy and important Christmas trading period”.

“We will ensure that all team members have the opportunity to celebrate in the new year as well as recognising their commitment and dedication to our customers at this time,” said the spokesperson.

Moreover, a leaked company memo said postponing the end of year celebrations is all about prioritising the customers and keeping staff focused.

“Christmas is going to be our most important yet,” said the company memo, according to the Daily Telegraph.

“We need to make sure we're putting customers first in every decision we make and every action we take.

“Given our focus on trading, the business has decided to postpone our end-of-year celebrations until next year.”

HRD has previously spoken to leadership expert Karen Gately about how HR can lay down some important ground rules around Christmas parties.

“As HR professionals, we don’t want to validate a reputation for being the fun police,” said Gately. “We’re not there to stop people having fun, quite the contrary, when people are having fun and are energised, they’re more likely to be engaged. “However, we do have an obligation to educate people about where the dangers lie and we do have an obligation to set an expectation around how people conduct themselves, particularly if they’re representing the organisation.

“Depending on the size and set-up of your business, you may want to communicate a message through email, through your management team or through team meetings.”