DIY retailer Screwfix has been accused of banning employees from displaying Christmas decorations in areas visible to shoppers.
Staff at the chain were said to have been informed this week that tinsel and baubles must be confined to back-of-house spaces such as staff rooms, where customers cannot see them.
The directive from company headquarters has left workers disgruntled.
"It was a decision taken by head office. We don't understand why. It feels a bit like Scrooge,” one source said.
"Staff aren't happy. We've put up decorations in the past," they explained.
"We can have them up in staff areas as long as customers can't see them,” the insider told The Sun.
Despite the restrictions on shop floor decorations, Screwfix maintains it is embracing the festive season.
A spokesman for the company said: "Our colleagues are wearing Christmas jumpers and we have the Screwfix Christmas jumper and socks for our customers to buy."
Employees have accused ScrewFix of banning them from putting up Christmas decorations
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They added: "As with previous years, our teams are able to decorate their staff rooms."
The retailer is therefore permitting seasonal celebrations behind the scenes while keeping its trading floors free from festive adornments, a policy that appears to have been in place for some time regarding staff areas.
The Screwfix policy follows a comparable move by banking giant HSBC, which has prohibited customer-facing employees from donning festive knitwear this Christmas.
The bank issued guidance after concerns emerged that staff wearing seasonal attire might not meet professional standards, particularly during sensitive interactions such as discussing financial difficulties or handling bereavement matters.
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'We don't understand why. It feels a bit like Scrooge,' one insider said
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An HSBC spokesman said: "We are encouraging colleagues to celebrate Christmas in branches in lots of different ways, including decorating branches, team celebrations and festive lunches."
However, it is important to also remember that branches are spaces where customers receive a range of specialist services that require professionalism and sensitivity.
"This year, we have asked colleagues in customer-facing roles not to wear Christmas jumpers to reflect this."
These corporate decisions around Christmas follow controversy last month when Tesco attracted criticism for marketing its artificial trees as "evergreen trees" rather than Christmas trees.
The supermarket has been selling a 6.5ft "Luxury Evergreen Tree" for £60, sparking accusations of "woke nonsense" from critics on social media.
Susan Hall, leader of the Conservatives in the London Assembly, wrote on X: "Wretched ridiculous nonsense, call it what it is, it's a Christmas tree. There, I said it out loud. I'm fed up with all this woke stupidity."
Olympic medallist Sharron Davies described the rebranding as "a bit silly," posting: "It's a Christmas tree that people put up at Christmas to celebrate Christmas!"
Tesco stated the labelling simply clarifies the tree type inside the box.
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