HEC's annual Holiday Practices Survey provides a brief overview of how employers in Hawaii are managing holiday time off, celebrations, and charitable giving. The results from this year indicate slight changes in scheduling and party plans, while the level of charitable giving remains stable or has slightly increased.

Holiday Eve Time-Off
Nearly half of the participating organizations plan to offer paid time off for Christmas Eve and/or New Year's Eve in 2025. Among those providing time off, most will close for half a day, while a significant number will give a full day off. For employers who are still making decisions, it's important to establish expectations and communicate them early, allowing teams to plan accordingly.

Half Staff Scheduling on Holiday Eves
Most organizations do not intend to implement a half-staff schedule for their Monday to Friday workforces. Among those that do, the offerings of full-day options differ between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve for full-day option. Additionally, many organizations are still in the process of finalizing their plans.

Holiday Party Plans
The percentage of organizations planning a holiday party is largely unchanged from last year, with a slight decline. Many of these events will take place outside of regular hours, primarily at offsite venues. Additionally, a significant number of organizations will be inviting spouses or guests to join the celebrations.

Alcohol Policies and Risk Management
Organizations that plan to serve alcohol continue to put safeguards in place. The most common measures include limiting the number of free drinks, controlling service times, offering beer and wine only, and providing alternative transportation options.

Community and Charitable Giving
Participation in charitable giving is up slightly compared to last year. Many employers are still deciding, which suggests opportunities to mobilize staff giving or volunteer efforts as the season progresses.

About the Survey and HEC Support
This year's survey reflects input from employers across industries in Hawaii. HEC members who participated receive the full detailed results. If you want support designing a quick pulse survey for your workforce, our Survey & Compensation team can help.

Questions or requests:
Dawn Mitchell, Manager, Surveys & Compensation Services: dmitchell@hecouncil.org
Susan Amuro, Surveys & Research Analyst: samuro@hecouncil.org
Kim Thepsenavong, Surveys & Research Specialist: kthepsenavong@hecouncil.org 

HEC provides local data, expert guidance, and on-call support to help you navigate the season with confidence. If you do business in Hawaii, HEC is a vital partner for your people practices throughout the year.