One of the best ways to avoid needless employment law disputes is to stay in touch with what your employees are thinking, feeling and doing. As part of our never-ending quest to keep you up-to-speed on the latest developments affecting your workplace, the following is our guide to some of the lesser-known holidays/celebrations your employees might be observing this month.

Just to make sure you’re paying attention, I included a made-up day on our list. The rest are very real. The first people to post a comment below identifying the bogus days will win valuable prizes.

  • Day Without Art Day (1)
  • National Dice Day (4)
  • AFL-CIO Day (5)
  • Bathtub Party Day (5)
  • International Ninja Day (5)
  • National Pawnbroker Day (6)
  • Cotton Candy Day (7)
  • Buy Something You Can’t Afford For Someone Who Doesn’t Need It Day (12)
  • Cat Herders Day (15)
  • Barbie and Barney Backlash Day (16)
  • National Chocolate-covered Anything Day (16)
  • Underdog Day (16)
  • Humbug Day (21)
  • National Haiku Day (22)
  • National Re-gifting Day (22)
  • Festivus (23)
  • No “L” Day (25)
  • National Whiner’s Day (26)
  • National Chocolate Day (28 & 29)
  • Falling Needles Family Fest Day (30)

What does this mean for employers? For decades, employment lawyers have advised their clients to avoid references to any specific celebrations at this time of year and to use instead the seemingly innocuous phrase “Happy Holidays.” But is that good advice?

In light of the above, by uttering “Happy Holidays” you may be unwittingly sanctioning gambling, whining, cat herding, bathtub partying, pawnbroking, humbuggery, haikus, chocolate over-indulgence, artlessness, discrimination against the letter “L”, violence against beloved children’s icons and unionization of your workforce.

Our advice? Drop the word “Holidays” from any greeting and simply say: ”Happy.”

Enjoy the month!

(Sources: holidayinsights.com, brownielocks.com)