A vacation in Griswold

One of the saddest and most pathetic scenes in Christmas movies can be found in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase plays Clark W. Griswold, a hard-working employee who, for most of the film, eagerly awaits his vacation bonus. He tells all the relatives that he had already pledged the funds for a new pool in the backyard. The movie takes a dramatic turn when instead of receiving the expected paycheck, his company gives him a one-year subscription to the “Jelly of the Month Club.” This crisis of the Griswold family led to the revenge kidnapping of Clark’s boss and a predictable moral lesson.

Much has been written about the pressures of the holidays on families, but businesses are not immune to holiday stress. Gifts, travel, and parties put financial and personal pressures on us. Children are out of school for more than two weeks, leaving working parents in a bind, and employees bring personal and financial pressures to the workplace. They can look to their source of income to alleviate these pressures. But what about the pressures on the business itself?

Now, no one will defend “Scrooge,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Mr. Crabs” from SpongeBob SquarePants, or “Mr. Burns” from The Simpsons. They make petty and capricious employment decisions. However, most companies have good employee relations, and as profits ebb and flow, there will be good years and not-so-good years. Most small business owners personally bear the burden of these changes, doing payroll and meeting expenses first. The workplace may be the first to escape with similar hopes of recognition as Clark.

The American Psychological Association did a survey a few years ago that provided insight into what causes us the most stress during the holidays. Big surprise that money topped the list (61%), followed by gifts, lack of time and credit card debt. Statistics from the American Management Association show that productivity drops significantly before the holidays. With more employees asking for advances on payroll and time off, more absences from work due to illness or family commitments, unhappiness can be more frequent than joy during the holidays. Business owners are not immune to this situation, as they themselves may be experiencing stress, either personally or in the business at a time when customers and clients are not (or more than usual) coming to call.

What does this mean for labor relations, Griswold and the boss? This two-way street requires understanding on both sides. If applicable, employers should consider “lightening up” when planning for the stress employees are sure to face from the home front or exhausted customers. This can happen by making work an “oasis” from the frenzy of vacation. This could also happen by removing the expectations of big-ticket gift exchanges and instead adding a few casual days, informal events, white elephant gift exchanges, or even a company-wide charity project.

Employees also need to have a “pulse” on the financial situation of the company and the Christmas culture. They must realize that “the boss” may not be relieved of his responsibilities during the holidays and may not enjoy the festive events in the workplace. He or she could be even more stressed as a result of a distracted workforce or vacations. Planning ahead by making vacation requests in advance and assisting management by offering holiday suggestions can help. If more money is needed than time off, then volunteering to do an extra shift for an absent co-worker is appreciated.

So what happened to Clark Griswold, the boss, and the bonus? Well, the capo (although captive) sees the light on the bonuses, but does not arrive in time to avoid the police raid. Communication is key and if we are lucky, we have the opportunity to bring peace to the office that we deserve and that is truly representative of the season.

Mary Louise VanNatta, CAE, received her Certified Association Executive designation from the American Society of Association Executives.