Orange County Register

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The economy has spooked morale, so it’s unlikely that anyone wants to share office space with Treasury Secretary and Fed Chairman lookalikes on Halloween.

But a broad base of grown-ups will have to put up this year with fear-inducing masks and other ghoulish accessories, the National Retail Foundation (via SignOnanDiego.com) reports. About 65 percent of non-kids–up from 56.7 percent in 2007–plan to play dress-up on October 31.

Those adults, many with shallowed pockets, say they’ll drop a couple extra bucks than usual on Halloween miscellany–costumes, decorations and fun-sized candy (and Ibuprofen for the day after, perhaps).

Call it escapism. Call it the Great Regression. No matter the label, a Halloween bull market means good biz for seasonal strip-mall outfitters, new inside jokes for nine-to-fivers and ruffled feathers for some sensitive souls.

“Oh, the political correctness,” one might posture. But “2008’s a wild card,” says Chuck Conine, an Irvine human resource consultant. “The potential exists for people to be distracted by (the economic meltdown) and not feel like dressing up. Others may see it as a great opportunity to let off some steam.”

Here are some pointers from Conine and Jim McDonald, an employment lawyer at Irvine’s Fisher & Phillips, who have seen the tides change in American offices (for better or worse).

Clear communication Send an e-mail or memo before Halloween to remind employees that they are permitted to dress up, but must use good taste and judgment.

Don’t overreact In this litigious era, employers need to be careful. With a female vice presidential candidate and an African-American presidential contender, “humorous” costumes can be widely misinterpreted. Also, some employees use Halloween as an excuse to dress in a manner that would never conform to most workplace dress codes.

Rewind the clock Think about feedback from employees or customers last year. If the majority of staffers opted out of dressing up, perhaps it’s time to reevaluate whether costumes are a fit for the company culture. If the holiday went smoothly and most people participated, it may be a positive celebration for the company.

Offer alternatives Companies should create a program that works for everyone. Host a company potluck or luncheon where staff can still celebrate Halloween with something fun.

Don’t underestimate subtleties A work environment should be free of obvious or not-so-obvious harassment. Keep in mind that some people might take offense to things that years ago bothered few.

“Since you’re not running a school for stand-up comics, the workplace is not the best environment to” test the waters, Conine said, adding that his intent is not to suck the air out of holiday fun.

Case in point: You may remember when a low-level bureaucrat at the Department of Homeland Security got busted last Halloween for donning prison stripes and blackface-esque makeup. Don’t be that guy.

An example of egregiously bad taste, of course, but the Irvine Retail blog is wondering what you think about the marriage of Halloween and business. Should they be separated? Restricted? Or is this just an example of über-political correctness?

Note: The noggins of Henry Paulson (bald) and Ben Bernanke (balding) have yet to be plasticized into masks, as far the Irvine Retailer can tell. Sarah Palin’s face entered the scene a little too late to yield anything but a piece of paper, but Barack Obama masks have been selling like bumper stickers (edging out John McCain equivalents by a wide margin).

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