Your Halloween office outfit could get you fired, warns workplace expert

Managing Director at Click Offices, Shane Duffy, has put together some HR do’s and don’ts this Halloween, warning employees they could face disciplinary action if they take their spooky attire too far in the office this year. Shane advised:

“Halloween costumes can be a wonderful way to celebrate.But it’s important to ensure that these costumes do not violate a company's code of conduct or inclusive workplace policies. These are some mistakes which can be made:

Dressing in culturally appropriated costumes

“Cultural appropriation can be a product of lack of knowledge on the offending parties' part but it can also be carried out maliciously, which could be considered workplace discrimination. Race and religion are protected characteristics under the UK Equality Act 2010, meaning if an employee portrays negative stereotypes with their Halloween costume this can be classed as discrimination, for which workers could face dismissal or disciplinary. It’s always best for employers to lay out clear rules of what is and isn’t appropriate for costumes in the office in advance.

Dressing as another gender or sexuality

“The same rules apply to costumes which may portray stereotypes of gender, sexuality or marital status, as all of these are protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Dressing up as another gender or sexuality could be classed as discriminatory. Employers and managers can promote better understanding through DEI workshops and training, to help staff understand why inclusivity and equality is important. For staff who ignore clear boundaries about what is and isn’t appropriate, action could be taken in the form of formal warnings or even dismissal.

Dressing up as your co-worker

“A scenario could happen where one worker decides to dress up as their colleague, this could be labelled a humorous joke by the employee taking this action. However, the person being targeted for this joke may not find it funny or even be friendly with the person who dressed as them. If an employee dresses up as a teammate it could be considered workplace bullying, of which disciplinary action could be taken. Bosses could set a general Halloween outfit theme to avoid encouraging any improper behaviour and steer clear of mishaps.

‘Sexy’ versions of scary costumes

“Inappropriate clothing shouldn’t be a part of most workplaces, although at Halloween some staff may blur the rules and wear costumes which are more on the more exposed side for the wearer. Every company should have a code of conduct or staff handbook which is made available to staff, outlining the expectations of behaviour and rules in the office. A necessary section for staff handbooks is outlining the rules for office attire and dictating what is considered inappropriate attire for the workplace. These rules can dictate a level of clothing professionalism which wouldn’t cause damage to business reputation. These rules should be clear to not discriminate against protected factors, such as gender, meaning rules should be equal for men and women and not show bias for one gender. For Halloween, it can be easy for staff to forget the rules, so be sure to reshare guidelines to make clear what will be tolerated and avoid employee embarrassment in advance.

Poor taste costumes

“Dark or offensive humour can be a difficult subject to police in an office and other work environments, however, such instances could be considered to be inappropriate behaviour and fall under workplace misconduct. There should be a clear line between spooky and inappropriate costumes in the office, no-one should be encouraged to cross a line and dress up in poor taste outfits which can cause offence. To reduce the risk of your office making this mistake you should be effective with communication of the rules for Halloween dress-up days at work. As previously mentioned, setting a theme can keep things on path and maintain a tasteful sense without losing the fun of the event.

Costumes hazardous to your job

​“It may sound like a great idea in the moment to dress up as a vampire complete with full cape and fake fangs but when you get to work you may have requirements of your role which aren’t able to be done in your spooky attire. If you have manual tasks as part of your job or have a role with specific physical health and safety requirements, you should evaluate if your costume hinders the ability to work safely. Some roles will have designated personal protective equipment as part of safety rules, such as footwear, eyewear and clothing requirements. In this case, you may need to bring practical workwear for the day and get changed later into your Halloween costume, or you could adapt your outfit to something suitable which fits both briefs.“