How to Avoid Workplace Disputes

Tips for avoiding disputes in the workplace over holiday scheduling, according to WorkingSmart newsletter, published by the National Institute of Business Management in McLean, Va.:

* Start planning early. Many managers start receiving workers’ holiday requests in January.

* Ask for volunteers to fill in if you need extra help, and allow other workers to trade days to substitute for each other.

* Bonuses sweeten the medicine of holiday work. More people may volunteer if extra pay is offered.

* Call on as many workers as possible. Consider breaking shifts into smaller increments on holidays, so more people share in the unpopular duty.