Join the Spooktacular Halloween Bash at Work!

🎃 From the Desk of Your Chief Happiness (and Human Resources) Officer: Let’s Get Spooky! 🎃

Team,

It’s that wonderful time of year again; the crisp autumn air, the faint scent of pumpkin spice wafting through the office, and the glorious return of our Annual All-Hands Halloween Hullabaloo!

I can feel the excitement already. You can, too, right? RIGHT?

This is our chance to really show the world, and ourselves, what makes our company culture so special. Not the benefits, not the flexible work policy, not the groundbreaking innovation.

No, friends. What truly sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to seasonal enthusiasm.

Costumes and Our Company Culture

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: “Do we have to dress up?” And the answer is… technically, no. But also, kind of yes.

As a friendly reminder since I received no responses or feedback on my last companywide email, participation is how we live our values. 

Please keep in mind that “exemplifies our company pillars” is one of the 7 key criteria determining eligibility for merit based salary increases and bonuses. So, while we can’t force you to participate*, remember – it’s your loss.

*Participation is limited only to full time, exempt employees. Hourly workers may participate, provided they have clocked out and have arranged for appropriate coverage.

Remember those company pillars? Collaboration, Creativity, and Courage?

What better way to demonstrate those than by showing up to the Friday team meeting dressed as a sexy nurse or a zombie recruiter (they’re basically the walking dead already since last month’s hiring freeze went into effect).

Because If you can’t embody our core values in a polyester cape from the costume rack at your local Wal-Mart, then when can you?

We’ll have a frighteningly full day of costume fun, treats and team-building:

• The Annual ERG Parade of Participation around the 7th-floor kitchen – please hold your applause until the end, that’s how feelings get hurt.
  
• The Best Group Costume Competition (last year’s Finance “Succession Cast” was a hard act to follow, but I believe in you, team). Winners will receive a $25 Chilis gift card, so be creative!
  
• And of course, the CEO’s Annual Costume Reveal, which is still confidential but let’s just say: if you thought his “Ted Lasso” last year was fun, you’re in for a treat! Ken’s a total hoot.

Team Trick or Treat (But Don’t Tell Wellness)

We’ve strategically placed candy bowls across all departments, because nothing says “operational excellence” like a trail of melting mini Snickers or wrinkled packages of off brand jellybeans.

Please take only one or two pieces at a time; remember, sharing is caring (and we’re still watching sugar budgets after last year’s incident in Accounting). 

Remote employees, don’t feel left out! You’ll each receive a $10 DoorDash voucher to buy your own candy and join our Virtual Costume Coffee Chat, hosted by HR. It’s going to be wacky! 

Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you can’t put on a witch hat and smile for a screenshot that will definitely end up in next quarter’s engagement deck and on our company careers site! 

Saying ‘Boo’ To Burnout!

We’ve all been working so hard this quarter, and we know what everyone needs: a full day of mandatory fun.

That’s why we’ve scheduled an entire afternoon for the Haunted Happy Hour & Trust-Building Scavenger Hunt (costumes required, snacks provided, enthusiasm expected).

You’ll partner with team members from other departments to solve spooky riddles like “Find the ghost of Q2’s missed revenue targets!” and “Locate the lost artifact of last year’s retention plan!”

Remember, these aren’t just games; they’re engagement opportunities. Every laugh, every awkward photo, every eye roll you think we don’t see. It all builds culture. And employer brand collateral.

It also factors into your annual performance review. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Scaring Up Inclusion, Not Hurt Feelings

Our DEI committee has been hard at work ensuring everyone feels welcome to participate in Halloween festivities. Please review our Costume Sensitivity Guidelines carefully before selecting your outfit.

To make sure we’re all inclusive, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• No costumes involving actual blood, fake blood, or anything that looks like blood. (Facilities asked me to stress this).
• No witches, ghosts, vampires, or skeletons; we received feedback those can be “unsettling.”
• Nothing referencing pop culture unless it was approved by Legal and does not risk trademark infringement, which is why I will not be dressing as Taylor Allison Swift this year. Apparently, the fun police all go to law school!
• And please, no “Employee of the Month” or “IT Guy” costumes again. It’s been done, and we’re onto your excuses for not fully participating in our Halloween hijinks.

We can all have fun while respecting boundaries. That’s what makes our company culture magic!

A Message from the Heart (and the HR Inbox)

I’ve been an HR professional for 17 years now, and I can tell you from experience, no other holiday brings people together quite like Halloween. Except maybe Administrative Professionals Day, but that’s another company wide email from me, so hold your horses!

After all, there’s something about seeing your manager dressed as a giant banana that just melts hierarchies. It’s the kind of authentic, organic bonding moment that no leadership development program could ever replicate.

So please, when you get that Outlook invite titled “Mandatory Fun <-> Boo Bash 2025 🎃,” don’t groan. Don’t sigh. Don’t send me a “conflict” reply that mysteriously overlaps with your dentist appointment.

Come. Participate. Smile. 

Let’s make memories that last long after the candy is gone, your polyester costume has melted slightly under the fluorescent lights, or you’re part of next month’s RIF spoiler alert 😉

Look, I know morale has been… a little spooky lately. Engagement scores are haunting us, turnover is creeping up, and our Glassdoor reviews have taken a frightful turn.

But I truly believe, as a SHRM certified professional, that with the power of togetherness, a few pumpkin-shaped cookies, and some paper bats taped to cubicle walls, we can turn this whole thing around – and turn those frowns upside down.

Because Halloween isn’t just a holiday. It’s a state of mind. A celebration of creativity, courage, and community. It’s the day we all take off our real masks, and put on new, fun ones that HR approved in advance.

So grab your glitter, dust off that wig, and let’s make this Halloween one for the (employee) handbook. Remember, there’s no “I” in team, but there is in “Frankenstein.” And he was built from collaboration, innovation and a commitment to executing against his vision.

See you at the costume parade, my little goblins of growth!

With festive HR love,

Kat

Katherine “Kat” Blakely, CHRO

PS: CHRO stands for “Chief Haunting & Relationship Officer,” but just this week!

P.P.S. Remember, there’s no “I” in team, but there is in “Frankenstein.” And he was built from collaboration, innovation and a commitment to executing against his vision.

About the Author:

Kat Blakely, Chief Human Resources Officer (and Chief Haunting & Relationship Officer, seasonally)

Katherine “Kat” Blakely has spent over 18 years in Human Resources trying to make “fun” mandatory. A self-described “people-first culture architect,” Kat believes no engagement challenge can’t be solved with cupcakes, hashtags, or a themed Slack channel.

Before joining her current company, Kat led “Employee Experience Transformations” at three different organizations that all coincidentally restructured the HR department right after she left.

She is a certified SPHR, a licensed Enneagram coach, and the founder of Culture is Contagious™, a boutique HR consulting collective that once landed her a 14-minute TEDx slot in Tulsa.

She lives in suburban Ohio with her husband Trent, their two golden doodles (Waffles and Synergy), and a fully decorated seasonal mantle for every holiday from Groundhog Day to Arbor Day.