Santa Claus considered: as an employee … and as an employer

Santa, the employee
Employee background checks are important. Even when hiring a seemingly trustworthy guy like St. Nick, it might be worth running a check for arrest warrants, sexual offenses and other criminal matters to protect your organization from potential liability. And once you’ve hired Santa, the job is not complete—meticulous on-the-job training is vital. Plus, you may want to conduct an ergonomic assessment of his job—the nature of his work presents lot of potential for on-the-job injuries. And you will definitely want to refer him to your EAP program—a recent survey reveals that Santa’s job can be very stressful!
Santa Claus as an employer
It pains us to bring this up, but there is no getting around it—no matter how beloved he is in the world at large, as an employer, Santa leaves something to be desired. The people at Forbes have painted him as little better than a sweat shop operator, forcing his elves to work long hours at low pay. And law firms both here in the U.S. and abroad note that he is playing fast and loose with a host of employment laws, risking everything from workers comp claims to class-action suits for hiring discrimination. Some attorneys weigh in with their thoughts on these and other potential legal risks that Santa faces.
Now we are very fond of Santa, but frankly, some of these employment practices stink. So Santa, if you are listening, give us a call—we’d be happy to enroll you in our online Management Academy free of charge. We’ll gladly throw in some stress reduction counseling, too!