FAQs

Can I take time off work that’s not a holiday?
Should you need to visit the doctor (Do-Little or Foster) or the tooth fairy, try to organise your appointment first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon, wherever possible.

When does the holiday year officially start and finish?
Our holiday year runs from 25 December to November 30. Please note that for obvious reasons no leave will be granted between December 1 and December 25.

How many days holiday do I get?
Everyone has 20 days paid holiday per year, with all holidays celebrating storybook characters (Easter, Halloween), your birthday (or in the case of Snowmen – the day you were built) and Summer break in addition.

Where do I get my holiday form?
The head elf keeps all of the holiday forms and maintains a central record.

Somebody said they don’t believe in fairies and I need to attend a funeral
We are sympathetic to such requests. We also remind staff that it is not morally sound to trigger a funeral in order to get time off by uttering ‘I don’t believe in fairies’.

Can I attend a workshop/ seminar that looks useful?
If you think something would be helpful/ beneficial to your job such as Geppetto’s ‘How to make a real life boy and avoid the pitfalls’ workshop, by all means let your manager know and we will see what we can do to help.

How do I borrow a company sled?
Providing you have an up to date Reindeer handling licence you should speak to Santa, Mrs Claus, the top fairy or head elf to check the availability of their company sled.

The head snowman is unfortunately sled-less at the moment, awaiting the rescinding of a ban following that unfortunate drunk-sliding conviction which obliterated North Pole Primary’s nativity scene. Little baby Jesus was dragged along behind for several miles before the head snowman eventually passed out.

If a company sled is not available, we do have an account with Aladdin’s magic carpet company. If you speak to the head elf they will be able to sort out a purchase order number, which you will need when booking a carpet in the Santa Ltd name.

How do I get petty cash?
Petty cash is available for all claims under thirty pieces of chocolate money. All claims must be accompanied by a receipt and authorised by a director.

Can I use a company credit card for a purchase?
The head elf has access to a company credit card when chocolate money is not available. The head elf will advise on limits and set up a purchase order. Obviously it goes without saying – although snowmen take note – that the credit card is only available for genuine work purchases, not to buy tickets for Disney on ice for you and the family.

I’ve got a problem with my workbench – what do I do?
Many workbench related problems can be resolved by stepping away from the workbench for a moment, having a cup of tea and gathering your thoughts before returning.

We have a workbench report form which you may be required to fill in so we can keep track of any persistent issues and spot potential problems when they occur.
We can run regular maintenance checks to ensure all is up to scratch (although please be careful not to scratch your workbenches), if there is a problem please be patient.

I’m last out of the workshop, what do I need to do?
We want to minimise any unnecessary use of heat and light, not only to please our festive financial bank manager Ebenezer, but to avoid meltings (the North Pole in general but in particular our snowmen colleagues). If you are the last person out of the workshop of an evening, please make sure that all desk candles and roaring log fires are extinguished.

What if my salary doesn’t look right this month?
The first thing to do is check the nutritional information on the back of your bag of chocolate coins in case there have been any changes (such as increased coco content) which may affect your take home pay.

I need to get rid of some confidential papers, where do I put them?
This is really important. We have access to a lot of confidential information (particularly children’s names and addresses along with sensitive information on their heart’s desires) and we do not want this to fall into the wrong hands.

Please keep in mind last year’s debacle when the ‘I want’ database was discovered by minions of the Ice Queen, who we just managed to prevent from using the information for evil.

There are two festively decorated shred it bins located at the top of the toy workshop, near the bear-o-matic bear machine. ALL confidential material must go in here.

This includes:

• children’s letters.
• the lists (good and bad children).
• toy blueprints (be aware of industrial espionage – remember Willy Wonka).

If in doubt use the shred it bin. Please note Snowmen – this does not mean shredding all the unused wrapping paper, which can be used the following year. Obviously wrapping paper is not confidential.

What do we do about recycling?
Global warming and its effect on the polar ice caps is an issue close to our hearts, for obvious reasons.

There is a main recycling point in the cupboards in the kitchen with separate boxes for teddy bear limbs and doll heads. At present there are no options for recycling glass – hence the massive stack of empty sherry bottles outside Santa’s Grotto.

What is a self certification form?
We need to keep track of poor elf, mainly as a duty of care to everyone to make sure that you’re fit and elfy when you’re in work for your own good and those around you.

If you are off work less than seven days you will need to fill in a self certification form. If you have been absent for more than seven days, you will require a sick note from Doctor Foster.

How do I order supplies?
The head elf looks after all orders of wrapping paper and envelopes, as well as toypaint and teddy-bear stuffing.