In 2005, the BBC ran a most entertaining feature called The Worst Jobs in Christmas history - you can view the 48 minute video clip or visit the accompanying website to read about bad seasonal jobs from yesteryear, spanning the Anglo-Saxon to the Victorian era. Believe it, your job will look great in comparison.

Having trouble getting into the seasonal rhythm this year? (video alert) Feeling cranky this season? Take the "How Scrooge Are You" quiz to find out how your register on the "bah, humbug" index. What's a better antidote to holiday crankiness than a video with cats and Christmas trees? Perhaps an animated cats and Christmas trees video. It's almost as good as singing reindeer (video alert) and dogs in holiday costumes.

If you are running around at the last minute trying to find a holiday gift for a for a boss, a co-worker, or for the office party grab, experts suggest keeping things practical and impersonal when it comes to work gift-giving. This handy guide to holiday gift etiquette for coworkers offers some "dos and don'ts" for office gift giving. If you are really stuck for a small last minute idea, you might try making your own holiday gift - or here are a few variations on the theme.

And in the how NOT to do things department, may we suggest:
Dave Barry's Annual Holiday Gift Guide and the Bad Gift Emporium where you can review a gallery of bad gifts that others have been given, and you can also add any of your own to the gallery if you are the recipient of some bad gifts this year.

More holiday silliness:
Christma-Hanu-Rama-Ka-Dona-Kwanzaa - a holiday song by Roy Zimmernan (video clip)

Chrismukkah - resources for a merry mish-mash holiday. Related: Oy to the World - holiday music from the Kelzmonauts

Make a snowflake

Take a tour of Yahoo's amusing gallery of Santa photos

Jacob Richman's Chanukah humor page

Christmas Cubicle 2006

Posted by Julie Ferguson on December 19, 2007 at 5:22 AM | Permalink

For people facing a recent loss, the holidays can be anything but happy. Thanksgiving will kick off a 6 week season of holiday celebrations for many; for others, it will be a sad reminder of loved ones lost. For those who have suffered a recent loss, the wounds are particularly raw and painful, but the effects of loss and grief can recur for many years. Memories of past celebrations with the departed can rekindle the feelings of loss.

Supervisors and HR managers should be sensitive to the fact that this may be a difficult time of year for any workers who have experienced a significant loss within the last year and should watch for signs of depression. Nancy Schimelpfening of about.com offers a brief refresher on the various stages of grief, along with "do" and "don't" lists offering guidance in ways to be supportive to people coping with grief. The Hospice Foundation of America issues an annual holiday newsletter of tips for coping with grief (PDF), which can be ordered online. Single issues are available at no charge, and small lots can be ordered at a reasonable price - these might be handy to have available for employees. And managers should also be sure to keep the EAP telephone number handy - in fact, for those employers that have an EAP, it's a good time of year to issue a reminder that services are available.

We've found a few good articles on coping with holiday grief that might be useful in helping you to communicate with and support any employees who are coping with grief:

• Grief.net offers a series of articles with suggestions for coping with grief during the holidays.
• 10 ways to cope with grief during the holidays - The Sutter VNA and Hospice
• The 3 C's of Coping with holiday Grief (PDF) - Hospice Foundation of America
• Embrace Memories to Cope with Holiday Grief - PsychCentral
• 10 Tips for Coping with Grief and Loss During the Holidays - San Diego Hospice and Palliative Care
• Handling the Holiday Blues or a Charlie Brown Xmas - from About.com:Death and Dying

Posted by Julie Ferguson on November 14, 2007 at 8:36 AM | Permalink

According to a recent Halloween at the Workplace survey released by Vault.com Inc., 37% of employees say they celebrate the holiday with their co-workers and 27% dress up in costume.

Susan Heatherfield of Human Resources at about.com says that Halloween is the second most popular holiday after Christmas and that celebrating it at the workplace "appeals to the child in each of us and helps create a motivational, team work-oriented work culture." She offers suggestions for celebrating Halloween at work, ranging from a themed breakfast or lunch to a pumpkin carving contest or philanthropic activities.

Of course, on-the-job masquerades are more appropriate for some workplaces than others. Mike Copeland of the Waco Tribune-Herald polled some local companies about Halloween practices, and unsurprisingly, there were varied responses. For some organizations, such as manufacturers or equipment handlers, costumes could jeopardize safety. Other organizations such as hospitals don't want to let professionalism slip for even a day, fearing that masks or costumes might alarm patients. And a local bank has two sensible rules: no masks and no toy weapons.

Far be it from us to be the wet blanket in the crowd, but employers do need to exercise some caution when it comes to any parties and celebrations. We favor the "no alcohol" at work rule, and suggest that you issue some guidelines about costumes. Here are a few recommendations for your work festivities:

• Make wearing costumes optional. While some people enjoy participating in Halloween festivities, everyone doesn't love a parade. Some employees find the idea of wearing a costume horrific.
• Consider charging a toll of a dollar or two for the privilege of wearing a costume and donate all proceeds to a favorite local charity.
• Issue some basic rules about costumes. Put safety first and foremost, and let employees know that revealing, offensive, off-color, or racist costumes will not be allowed. (Employees: use good sense. No matter how clever the idea, resist any urge to wear a "career limiting costume.")
• Discourage tricks or pranks that could scare others or pose a safety hazard.
• If costumes don't "work" for your organization, consider some alternative celebrations, such as holding an off-hours parade or party that family members could attend or staging contests for best pumpkin carving, best kid's costume, best pet costume, etc.
• Consider a free "ghoulish" buffet breakfast or lunch, or put special seasonal treats in the break room.

Halloween treats
Here are a few humorous seasonal links we thought you might enjoy:
How to make a Dilbert Costume - perfect!
How to build a better bat costume
How to look like a zombie
Gruesome Halloween recipes; more creepy cuisine.
Pumpkin House of Horrors
Cats in costume - just because!

Posted by Julie Ferguson on October 29, 2007 at 8:12 AM | Permalink