What Christmas Cake Taught Me: Holiday Morsels for Employers to Enjoy a Happy 2026

My family is big on traditions, especially around the holidays. There is one, however, that I’m thankful not to celebrate anymore.

When I was younger, my mother insisted that we eat 12 pieces of Christmas cake between 12:00a.m. on December 25th and 11:59p.m. on December 31st. If you’re unfamiliar with Christmas cake, it’s generally a dense fruitcake - sometimes with nuts, sometimes iced, sometimes it has been soaked in rum or brandy. It’s definitely an acquired taste. Fortunately, I grew up spoiled by my parents’ homemade version, crafted from my grandmother’s recipe. With a tasty cake, eating 12 pieces sounds easy; joyful even.

But there was a twist: our 12 pieces had to come from 12 different cakes, preferably home-baked by family friends. That meant there was no knowing what you’d get. Unfortunately (with no judgment intended) some pieces were dry, too sweet, strongly spiced, or overly enthusiastic with the alcohol such that some years it didn’t feel like there was enough water to drink between slices. Plus, on years where my parent’s cake collecting went particularly well, we would end up with more than 12 pieces. So why put my brothers and I through this each year? Because each piece of Christmas cake represented a happy month in the new year.

Since my parents have passed, my brothers and I have let this tradition go, and I haven’t introduced it to my own kids. But, as we get ready to welcome the new year, I’ve been thinking about the lessons baked into all those slices of cake – and what they can offer employers for their own happy months in 2026. Here are five:

 1. It’s good to know what you’re getting into – clear job descriptions matter: Not all cakes (especially Christmas cakes) are what they seem.  You may expect a simple fruit and pound cake mix, only to discover after one bite that it’s mostly peanut-butter dough, completely changing your impression of what you thought you were eating. The same goes for working relationships:  knowing exactly what you’re agreeing to matters.

 Changes made to the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 throughout 2025 have primarily been focused on increasing transparency for employees (see our firm’s earlier blog here speaking to job posting rules that come into effect January 1, 2026, and our December PH Report here). Often overlooked is the importance of clear written job descriptions. Written job descriptions set out a clear understanding of the role’s duties and responsibilities, and will be used for performance management, in the event an employee requests accommodation, managing return to work following an illness or injury, and to determine if any change in the employee’s position equates to a constructive dismissal.

 2. Offering something more creates expectations – avoid a sour surprise: Offering something special in the new year was the whole idea behind each piece of cake. Good or bad, as you chewed on each piece, you thought what new adventures that month in the new year could bring– vacations, new jobs, new relationships, etc. Inevitably, that set us up with trust that the happy month we were promised to receive would happen, and disappointment when that wasn’t the case.

Many employers offer recognition programs to their employees in the form of bonus, commission, or incentive plans to share in the success of the business. These plans typically run on a calendar‑year cycle, yet new terms are often introduced after January 1st — sometimes not until the end of Q1. For any plan to be enforceable, especially any limits on entitlement or on termination, timing and implementation are critical. Best practice is to issue updated terms for review and sign‑off by employees before they take effect. For a January 1st start date, this means delivering the plan before year‑end. If that’s not possible, employers must provide proper consideration for employees to accept the new terms and ensure they clearly understand when, how, and what they’ll receive.

 3. Predictions only come true when you plan and take action – implementing the right workplace toolkit: Whether you call them predictions or resolutions, many people make personal promises or set goals at the start of the new year focused on self-improvement or changes they are looking to make. But promises, even ones as general as “I’m going to be healthier” mean you have to actually plan to take action (get a gym membership, learn how to cook, get out to more activities) and then do it.

 Employers often try to predict what the future holds for their business. This then turns to ensuring they have the resources they’ll need in the coming months or year to meet the change, whether its changes to customer demand, the economy, or their product offerings. If employers anticipate changes in their operations in 2026, they can promote a more seamless transition, minimize disruption associated with the change, and see their prediction become a reality by planning for and developing the right employment toolkit:

• template job postings including the required information about essential duties, compensation range, accessibility, and use of AI in recruiting;

• up-to-date employment agreements;

• up-to-date policies and Employee Handbooks; and

• confirmation of any obligations for anticipated layoffs, including any extended layoffs for non-unionized employees; , layoff information and, if needed, termination documentation. 

 4. Change Happens – Accept It: When I was young, there wasn’t the same awareness there is today for the need to offer gluten free, dairy free or vegan alternatives. If my parents were making their Christmas cakes today, the recipe would no doubt have been adapted to account for food allergies and sensitivities in my family. But such adaptation would have had to have been very carefully implemented to avoid risk of contamination and harm.

 Generative AI isn’t new, but in today’s world, the availability and pervasive use of generative AI is no longer a niche concept. It’s present in almost everything we do, including at work. However, just because it’s efficient and helpful doesn’t mean that it doesn’t also come with risks, especially those related to its lack of transparency (where and from what data/information base is it drawing from), data privacy, and misinformation. As we welcome in 2026, employers should ensure they have proper AI policies and protocols in place that, at a minimum, address:

• who is allowed to use AI;

• what AI can be used for:

• what AI platforms and/or service providers are approved and authorized for use in the workplace;

• what information can and cannot (i.e., trademark, personal employee or client information, sensitive company or client data) be entered into a query; and

• what checks and balances are to be followed to ensure the factual reliability of the output generated.

5. Culture – It’s not just a word: Our family’s culture plays a big role in our holiday traditions. The Christmas cake recipe used by my parents came from my Ukrainian grandmother, while the tradition itself seemed to come from my father’s English/Scottish side. Often undetected or unconscious, our own culture plays into our holidays and actions more than we realize.

 In 2025, we saw a lot of businesses proudly announcing “made in Canada” in response to tariffs and other changes to the business climate and economy. But an employer’s “corporate” branding is different from its branding from an employee perspective. It’s the employer’s culture that current and potential employees view as the employer’s brand. With 2026 only days away, consider how your employer branding impacts your ability to attract and retain top talent. Then look to what you need to have in place:

• Benefit plans – is what you offer and how it’s provided clearly set out in your employment agreements and/or policies?

• Professional development – have you properly documented when and how you’ll support or reimburse employees looking to take professional courses or training?

• Flexible workplaces – are remote or hybrid work entitlements, including any limits, expressly documented in job postings, job descriptions, employment agreements, and Remote Work policies?

• Conduct expectations – have your codes of conduct and workplace harassment policies been reduced to writing, shared with your employees, and the required training provided?

I’m not saying employers need to do all of this. After all, as I said, I don’t make my own children eat 12 pieces of Christmas cake every year. But who doesn’t want 12 happy months in 2026? Taking these lessons I learned in sacrificing my taste buds will help employers start the new year on the right foot and, very likely, enjoy the benefits of more than 12 happy months for their employees and their business.

Happy New Year!