Avoid Festive Season Chaos: A Tradie’s Guide to Policies and Parties

Andy
I’ve been there, we’ve had a few massive parties in our time at Dr. Drip. And yes, it got a little wild, but you know what? It only takes one slip up to wreck your brake. So that’s why today Ange and I are laying out exactly how to dodge the festive season chaos.

Ange
Yes, that’s right. We’re going to cover how to handle staff leave. Plan a party that’s fun, but doesn’t land you in hot water and keep the business humming so you can actually kick back when the tinsel goes up. Let’s get into it. 

Andy
You are listening to The Tradie Show. This is the podcast for trade business and contracting bosses like you who wanna lead with confidence, make more profit, and create a better lifestyle. 

Ange
We’re your hosts, Andy and Angela Smith, husband & wife team, and co-founders of Lifestyle Tradie. Are you ready to have some fun? 

Andy
Hell yeah! Running a trade business costs enough as it is. Materials, fuel, tools, it all adds up fast. That’s where Buy4Tradies comes in. It’s a buying group built by tradies for tradies, giving you free access to exclusive deals with trusted national suppliers across materials, fuel, tools, finance, and heaps more. Buy4Tradies has just launched an exclusive deal with a leading national electrical wholesaler, giving members access to serious savings on materials. It’s the same gear you already use every day, just at a better price. It’s completely free to join and the savings start straight away. There are no locking contracts, no fees, just real savings for tradies like you. So head to Buy4Tradies.com.au. That’s buy the number four tradies.com au. Sign up today and start saving where it counts. Alright, it’s time to kick things off with some, hell yeah wins from our amazing Lifestyle Tradie members. 

Hell yeah! These are the legends who’ve been smashing it in their businesses, proving that small changes can lead to massive results. Hopefully these give you some inspo on what you can do in your business. Ange, what do we have this week? 

Ange
All right, so we’ve got some great hell yeahs to share today, Andy. First up, a big shout out to Amanda and Matt who are Sparkies in Victoria and they share, “We’re celebrating getting the keys to our factory that we bought earlier in the year.”

Andy
That is a massive Hell yeah. And a lot of our Lifestyle Tradie members at the moment are using this super and they’re buying factories as we speak, and it’s part of what we do within our program with wealth management. That is amazing. That is a big hell yeah for you guys, what’s next, Ange? 

Ange
So next up is Michelle, a fairly new member with Lifestyle Tradie who runs a restoration of timber deck’s business in Queensland with her husband and her daughter, and she writes, hell yeah to the photographer who brought his drone. Sophie now has some awesome video of our work to share on socials and I’ll be adding it to our website. 

Andy
And everyone knows, right? Our decks can get pretty horrible really quick. And the work these guys are doing are amazing and we all know using social media to show everyone what you do is a massive part of bringing leads in the door. Yes, that is a big hell yeah, as well. 

Ange
Okay, so last but not least is from Dion who owns a glazing business in Adelaide and he writes, coming to the end of a great two week break in the van with my wife and kids, clearing my head and having a clear way forward for myself and the business.

Andy
Yeah, this is huge. I think every single business owner needs to have that time out, and it’s not just at Christmas time, right? But during the year make sure you can clear your head, have a clear view of what your next steps are, and make sure you set your goals and you start ticking them off along the way. That is awesome, Dion. A big hell yeah for you as well. And that’s what we are all about here, helping tradies like you take control, make changes, and see the winds rolling. Alright, so today we’re talking about keeping your business outta trouble this festive season, Ange and I are gonna cover three big areas. First, how to handle staff leave and plan for your shutdown. 

Ange
Second, we’re dealing with the crazy pre-Christmas workload.

Andy
And third, running a Christmas party that’s fun, but won’t land you in hot water. Let’s kick it off with the one that trips most tradies up, annual leave and shut downs of your business. Now, I get it, you’re flat out trying to finish jobs. You’re quoting on the weekends, and before you know it, it’s mid-December and you’re thinking right. Let’s shut the doors for a couple of weeks and finally get a break. But here’s the thing, if you haven’t given proper notice or sorted out who’s got what, leave left, that break can turn into a nightmare for you.

Ange
Yes, and that’s because under most of the trade awards, you’ve got to give it at least two months notice if you plan to close over Christmas. So if you are thinking of taking a break, you really need to have that communication out by October at the latest. 

Andy
Sounds early, but the time disappears fast. Right. And if you’re sitting there thinking to yourself, oh no, I haven’t talked about leave over Christmas with my team yet, then let this be a sign. You have to do something now. 

Ange
Exactly. So you definitely don’t wanna get to the last week before Christmas and realize. No one actually knows what’s happening. Half the team had ‘leave’ left, half didn’t, and now you’re in the middle trying to make everyone happy, and that sounds super stressful to me. 

Andy
Yep, and that’s the problem. Tradies are great at getting the work done, but most of us aren’t thinking about policies or paperwork until it’s too late. So let’s get a bit practical and start with asking, does your business even shut down over Christmas?

Ange
So you need a proper annual leave policy in place that clearly explains firstly, when staff can take leave. Secondly, how much they can take at once. And thirdly, what happens if they don’t have enough hours up their sleeve? 

Andy
And if you do close for Christmas, make sure everybody knows. 

Ange
How, you know everyone knows, is to write it into the policy that everyone must keep two weeks of leave each year for the Christmas shutdown. That way you are not stuck with employees who’ve used all their time off or annual leave by September. 

Andy
Seen at heaps of times, heard about at heaps of times. People have taken all their leave, then it gets to Christmas, they have no leave, and the boss decides to do a shutdown. Uh, there’s a lot of uncomfortable conversations that happen then.

Ange
So to avoid uncomfortable conversations, all we need to do is have an employee handbook that needs to be shared at the start of their employment. And if you’ve got other specifics that you need, then add it to your contract and all this would’ve been avoided. 

Andy
Yeah. This is where communication is the key and getting this stuff done early so there’s no surprises really makes a big difference in your business.

Ange
Exactly. We communicated things in Dr. Drip, like we didn’t want anyone to take annual leave over the months of October and November without discussion or authorization in advance, because these were our busiest months of the year. 

Andy
We also had information telling them that, we don’t approve more than one or two people off at the same time at any given time. And this obviously depends on the size of your business, of course, but it helps you keep enough people on deck to make sure the work can be done when it’s required, because the last thing you want is to have empty vehicles sitting in your driveway when you’re at a peak time of work when you could be making all that money.

Ange
Yeah, it’s a great point. So Dr. Drip offered 24/7 emergency work being a maintenance based business because we did plenty of strata work, but that meant we needed a skeleton staff working over Christmas every single year. And you know what this roster conversation for us was actually discussed in July.

Andy
Yeah, well, we learn our lessons. Many times. We did the years before that, but you know, we had young guys that were keen for the extra money and would put their hand up to work. And then we had guys that had families, obviously kids that wanted to go away and they wanted the time off. So early conversation meant it all worked out in the end.

Ange
I guess what needs to be said is you have to toe the line when it comes to dealing with your team. This does vary, trade to trade, or more specifically by award. It’s actually not one size fits all. 

Andy
And that’s why having the right advice matters is not just about paying the above award. It’s about knowing what’s actually in the award. There are rules in there about shutdowns over time, public holidays, and it’s more than just pay rates. 

Ange
Exactly. Okay, so let’s just break this down in a few quick takeaways. Firstly, decide your shutdown dates early. Two, send out a written notice at least a couple of months in advance. Three, update your leave policy and your employee handbook so that everyone knows how it works. And four, communicate it clearly. Have a chat and put it in writing. 

Andy
Perfect summary. Communication is key. And remember, this isn’t about being the bossy boss. It’s about protecting your business, your cashflow, and your sanity. 

Ange
You know what a bit of planning now means, you can actually switch off over Christmas and have a break yourself. 

Andy
And that’s the goal, right? Getting you to the end of the year feeling calm and not cooked.

Ange
Yeah, exactly. You know what? Speaking of cooked, let’s switch tact here and talk about how to handle that crazy pre-Christmas workload without losing your mind. 

Andy
Oh yeah. Wow. The beast. That is December, that pre-Christmas chaos. You know the one customer calling nonstop. Every job suddenly becomes super urgent and your crew is running on caffeine and hope. 

Ange
You know what, it’s the same every year across every trade. Everyone wants their reno finished or their air con fixed before the in-laws show up. And for trade business owners, it’s a massive balancing act trying to keep everyone happy without completely burning out.

Andy
Exactly. And the problem is tradies are known to just say yes to everything. And you know what? I used to be the worst for it. If a client asked me to squeeze in one more job before Christmas, I’d say, yeah. Oh geez. No worries mate. We will fit it in. Even if it meant the boys were working until dark. 

Ange
You know what? I remember those nights you’d come home filthy, exhausted and still be on the phone organizing new jobs whilst I was trying to serve dinner. It was crazy. 

Andy
Yeah, I was a shocker. But the thing is that kind of chaos isn’t sustainable, and we all know that, don’t we? But you gotta plan your December out properly, or it will chew you up and spit you out because you’ve gotta set your own rules. You gotta decide right now when you’ll stop taking on any fresh work that’s gonna take more than a few days. For us at Dr. Drip, that was usually around that first week of December. 

Ange
Okay, now we are not saying to push away good quality work, especially after you’ve spent so much money on marketing to help make the phone ring. But what we are saying is don’t over commit the workload before Christmas. So instead, if the job isn’t urgent, then book them in for January so that you already have a steady amount of work to return to in the new year.

Andy
And here’s where a lot of trade business owners slip up. Things get so hectic, they start cutting corners on the business side of things. They’re, they’re not quoting, they’re not doing the upsells. They’re not keeping up with the admin. The focus has switched to simply just getting the job done as fast as possible. 

Ange
Yeah, you know what you start thinking should be right. Just get it finished. But that’s where the real damage happens. You end up smashing out jobs with tight margins. You are skipping those upsells and you are forgetting to invoice properly, and before you know it, you’ve worked your absolute guts out for no profit at all. 

Andy
Exactly, and don’t get sloppy with your processes just because you’re in a rush. December is the time you need to be sharper than ever. Every quote should be done properly. Every job tracked, every upsell offered. It might feel like you’re slowing down the workflow, but that discipline is what protects your profit in the future. 

Ange
Yes. And check your invoicing process too. If you can’t get payment on the spot, then get the invoices out the same day the job’s done, if you can. Don’t tell yourself that you’ll catch up after Christmas because you just won’t. You’ll be back in January, the client’s gonna be away and your cashflow is gonna be absolute cactus. 

Andy
Exactly. And if you are doing bigger projects, ask for some progress payments before you shut down. That way you’ve got money in the bank to cover wages, super, and whatever else hits in early January. 

Ange
So another big one to discuss is not forgetting quality control. When everyone’s tired and rushing, that’s when mistakes creep in. Make sure we are double checking jobs before they’re signed off. Even a 10 minute inspection can save you thousands in callbacks or warranty work later. 

Andy
So true. And let’s face it, your tradies are out, probably partying in December more than ever, and they’re just rushing through the jobs, just trying to get to the finish line. And it might feel productive at the time, but it almost always costs you time and money later. 

Ange
Exactly. So here’s what to focus on in those last few weeks before Christmas. Set the rules of what work you’re going to accept before Christmas, and book the rest in the new year and do it now. Stay really disciplined. Don’t get sloppy with your quoting, invoicing, or upsells. You’ve got to protect your profit. Small wins, add up and really watch your quality. Don’t let tired mistakes ruin your break. 

Andy
And while you’re at it. Keep an eye on your crew. This time of year, everyone’s tired and completely over it encourages regular breaks, plenty of water, and maybe knock off early on a Friday or two. It just keeps morale up and reduces the risk of burnout or accidents. 

Ange
Oh yeah. Couldn’t agree more. You want your team to finish the year feeling really appreciated and not broken. A few early knockoffs. A team barbecue. A quick thank you even if it all helps. That good energy carries into the next year.

Andy
Exactly, because the goal isn’t just to survive December, it’s to hit Christmas feeling proud with money in the bank and no loose ends. 

Ange
And once you’ve got the work wrapped up, it’s time for the fun part, the Christmas party. But if you’ve ever had one, get a bit outta control. You are going to wanna stick around for this next part.

Andy
Alright, let’s cut to the chase. When was the last time your business worked for you instead of running you into the ground? If you are sitting there thinking, yep, that’s me, then we need to talk. I’m Andy Smith and I’ve been where you are. Long hours. Cashflow nightmares, no control. Does any of these sound familiar? But here’s the thing, you don’t have to keep living like this. There’s a way out, and it starts with a game plan call. It’s just 10 minutes. We’re going to identify the bottlenecks holding your business back and map out a clear, straightforward plan to get you moving forward. Think of it as your shortcut to make more profit, more control, and more time to actually enjoy your life. And if you are stuck with cashflow issues, team headaches, or just feel like you’re drowning in endless work, well guess what? I’ve got you back. So here’s what you need to do. Head to lifestyle.tradie.com.au. Hit the big green game plan call button, or just scroll down on your phone. Listen, if a 10 minute call could save you hours of headaches, why wouldn’t you take it? Make the move, let’s turn things around and get your business working for you, not against you. Hell yeah!

Ah, yes. The Christmas party, the food, the beers, the chance to finally unwind after a massive year, but as good as it feels to celebrate, this is where things can go pear shaped really quick if you’re not careful.

Ange
Yes, and this is something a lot of trade business owners actually don’t think about. Your duty of care doesn’t stop just because there’s a bar tab and some tinsel. If it’s a work event, you are still responsible for the team’s health and their safety. 

Andy
Yeah. How things have changed so much over the years, but you’re so right Ange, and let’s get real tradies, know how to have a good time sometimes too good. I have to admit, we’ve had a few parties at Dr. Drip in the early days, and let’s just say they were a little lively. 

Ange
A little lively. I remember one year someone decided to turn karaoke night into a mosh pit. 

Andy
Oh yeah. We’ve had some terrible stories, but a great mate of mine, Mus, you know, He’d come to our Christmas parties and he was a plumber as well, and his whole goal was to smash my credit card. And I can still have the visions of trays and trays of shots coming to us all. And I’m looking at him and he’s laughing, thinking it’s hilarious that he’s smashing that card of mine. But the night started turning a bit ugly and everyone started getting extremely drunk. And guess what? One of the local plumbing companies were sort of competitors decided to turn up and because a few of the boys had had a few drinks, they decided to throw a few smart ass comments, and then the next moment it’s out on the street and there’s a punch on. Mm. And you wouldn’t believe it. The boss of this company and myself, we stayed in the bar, and we bought each other a beer. We sat at a table looking out the window of these guys going nuts. And it was just like, what the hell is going on here? Young people letting off a bit of steam. There wasn’t too much damage. So a bit of push and shove. Nothing too serious, maybe a little bit of blood, but oh, the fact of the matter is here, it can get outta hand so quickly and we’ve just gotta be smart about this.

Ange
Yes. So it’s all good to have fun, but we actually have to keep it safe. And you know what? We’ve gotta set the ground rules early. So when you send out an invite, include a start and finish time. That way everyone knows when the official event begins and ends. 

Andy
Yeah. And once that finished time hits, your responsibility as a business owner does end. So if a few people want to kick on afterwards, that’s fine, but make sure it’s clear. It’s not part of the work function. They are on their own now. 

Ange
Yeah, that’s right. And you know what? Even where you hold this event actually matters. I recommend actually picking a licensed venue and that way the trained bar staff are serving drinks and they’re keeping an eye on anyone who’s had too much. It actually takes the pressure off you being that person to step in. 

Andy
Yeah. The security guards would probably be circling and waiting to see the next steps. Steps, right. But no one wants to be that boss cutting off their apprentice mid beer. No. It’s awkward and it kills the vibe and lets the professionals handle that part.

Ange
And while you’re at it, it’s a good idea to even sort out transport, maybe organize a courtesy bus if it works, or maybe cover a few taxis or Uber rides home. 

Andy
Uh, love and organize offers of a taxi at a set time. That way they can either say yes and go straight home, or guess what, they’re on their own. 

Ange
Yeah. It’s those small steps that protect your business. Because here’s the reality, if something actually happens at a work event. You are the one that fair work is actually coming to look for. 

Andy
Yeah. And you think it’s just a party, but legally it’s still a workplace. If someone gets hurt, someone says something stupid or crosses the line, it can come back to hurt.

Ange
So the solution here is really simple. You just gotta communicate the expectations clearly. Before the party, remind your team of their code of conduct and the bully and harassment policy. I know it sounds stupid, but this stuff is so important in business. 

Andy
Yeah, it is. It is. I hate to say it. It is, and it’s not about being the fun police, it’s about making sure everyone has a great night and no one feels uncomfortable. 

Ange
And you know what? You don’t actually have to have alcohol around to have a good time.

Andy
Oh, bullshit. I’m sorry. Did you say something then?

Ange
Well, you know, I reckon a whole lot of tradies now are going on the health bandwagon and they truthfully don’t drink.

Andy
Yep. There’s a lot of tradies these days, going to health spas. There’s a lot to be said for that.

Ange
A hundred percent. You know what though, Andy? We do know that a lot of our members now are doing these awesome family days instead, they’re doing barbecues in the park and playing cricket. They’re even doing face painting for the kids. It’s something everyone can enjoy. Less risk. Same reward, right? 

Andy
Yeah, it is right. And it does really come down to your team. Do you have a young crew? Do you have an old crew? Do you have a mixture? Do they have kids? Don’t have kids? And you’ve just gotta be smarter these days in understanding your crew and understanding how to put on an incredible event without being safety Sam, and making sure everyone can still have an incredible time without taking it just too far.

Ange
Exactly. So it’s all about the intention. At the end of the day, what we wanna do is celebrate the year. We wanna say thanks and we wanna build that team spirit. So whether it’s a barbecue or it’s unite out, just make it memorable for the right reasons.

Andy
So let me ask you this, Ange, what about if you do have a party and sh*t gets real? Mm-hmm. And someone carries on a bit, what do we do? 

Ange
So if someone does actually misbehave, that’s a great question because you actually can’t just brush it off like, oh, they just had a few drinks. You’ve actually still got a responsibility to act on it. 

Andy
Yeah, and that’s the thing, if you, any of your team members come to you and they raise any issues about anything inappropriate that happened or some harassment or they were just feeling unsafe on the night, uh, listen, you can’t sweep that under the carpet these days. You definitely need to take it seriously. Document it and follow the same process you’d use if it happened on site. 

Ange
Yeah. And if you don’t already have a solid bully and harassment policy, then you know what? Now’s the time to sort it out. You want that stuff in writing before anything ever happens. It protects your team and it protects your business.

Andy
Yeah. And while you’re reviewing policies, check your social media policy too, because the morning after a Christmas party, you don’t wanna wake up to a tag photo of you in a Santa hat doing the worm on the bar floor. 

Ange
Oh, mate, that’s a bad feeling. And in today’s world, one dumb post can damage your brand real fast. So remind your team that anything posted publicly is going to reflect on the business. 

Andy
And here’s the thing, doing this stuff right doesn’t kill the fun. Actually makes it better. 

Ange
Well, everyone can relax, right? They can enjoy themselves, and they’re not sitting there stressing about what might go wrong. 

Andy
I’ll tell you what though. When you run a Christmas party that’s organized and drama free, it sets the tone for the next year. Your crew comes back refreshed. And motivated, not embarrassed or hungover or some messy story about how they’re not getting on with one of the boys or girls. 

Ange
Yeah, exactly. It’s the perfect way to finish the year on a high note.

Andy
So there you go. Three big ways to avoid festive season chaos. Get your shut down and leave sorted early. Stay disciplined in December with your jobs and your margins, and plan your party properly so you can celebrate without the stress. 

Ange
And if you do all that, you are going to hit Christmas, feeling calm, confident, and actually ready to enjoy your break.

Andy
Exactly. You’ll be sitting there on Christmas Eve beer in hand thinking We nailed it this year. And that’s what it’s all about.

It’s tradie dilemma time, brought to you by Buy4Tradies, the buying group helping tradies like you save serious coin on materials, fuel, vehicles, tools, and other services. If you’re not using it, you are probably paying too much. This is our q and a segment where you let us know what you’re having trouble with in your business and we’ll give you our best advice to sort it out. 

Ange
Okay, so today we have a question from Crystal who owns a maintenance plumbing business with her husband Rowan in Melbourne. And she writes, we have a team of four, and at the moment, Rowan is doing all the quoting. I want the boys to do it. So how do you train your staff to quote with the right pricing and the wording, for example? 

Andy
Yeah. This is a common question we have and, and at Dr. Drip, we had all of our quoting was all pre-done. We’d had all of our quotes pre-made for every single job that we did, and the guys just had to fill in the blanks. Click a button and the pricing all came up. So for us, it was pretty simple. We had what you’d call a plumbing pricing book that was uploaded into our job management system, and we made it simple for our team to do all the quoting and do all the invoicing. Now the question here is, how do you get your team to do it? Well, it doesn’t happen overnight, but you’ve gotta have the right structure in your business to make it as easy as possible. But if you just wanted to dumb it down and keep it really simple, it really just comes down to what do you charge as an hourly rate? What do you need to charge as an hourly rate? How long do they believe they’re gonna be on the job? What materials are they gonna use and what pricing do you have for that material? And join those two together. And do they need skip bins? Do they need blue metal? What do they need in the business? If you train them up the right way and have that cheat sheet for them, there is no reason if these guys are good tradies that they wouldn’t understand how to quote. But now it comes down to you letting them do that, um, letting them run with it and hoping they don’t make a mistake. Or if they do make a mistake, making sure they realize where the mistake happened and make sure they don’t do that again. I believe, when you are a business owner saying The boys won’t do it, no one will do it. It really normally comes down to you and your training and not having the right structure in place for them and doing the training with them and giving them the freedom to have a go and start putting this stuff in place. 

Ange
Yeah, I couldn’t agree more. I think training them well and then circling back to do some back costing and talking about where they went well or where they didn’t, so that they’re constantly learning is definitely a path to be able to hand over some of the quoting with your team. So that’s a great response and I hope you gained a lot from that, Crystal. Remember, if you want Andy and I to answer your most challenging question, then send it our way. 

Andy
Alright. That is a wrap on today’s episode, hopefully you got a few ideas to keep your business on track through the silly season, and maybe just maybe avoid a few headaches along the way.

Ange
Remember, it’s all about getting organized early, keeping your systems tight and celebrating responsibly so you can actually enjoy your break. 

Andy
If you’re feeling like the years run away from you and you need a solid plan for 2026, book a game plan call with me. We’ll go through your business and map out how to make the next year your best one yet.

Ange
Alright, enjoy the lead up to Christmas. Stay safe and we’ll catch you next time on The Tradie Show. 

Andy
See you legends.

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