The spookiest time of the year is almost upon us! No, not the presidential election—Halloween. That means you need to get candy ready for trick-or-treaters, plan some ghostly activities—and figure out what costume you’re wearing to the office Halloween party.Whether you love them or hate them, holiday work parties are great ways for your employees to unwind and—wait for it—actually have fun at work! So if you’re still wondering whether inviting your employees to dress up as mummies, witches, and sexy ketchup bottles is a good idea, here’s your answer: Yes! And here are three reasons why:

1. It’s important to company culture. If you have a great company culture, you most likely know that parties are huge morale boosters. Today’s workforce is very different from those that came before; it’s largely comprised of millennials, and millennials want superior work environments. Halloween parties reinforce the fun and unique company cultures millennials want.

A great company culture can increase productivity—but don’t count on this too much at a Halloween party. Sorry, but your sales people are just not going to be as productive when they’re dressed as clowns. But on a holiday, it’s okay to let this slide. No one wants to work at a place where fun is discouraged every day of the year.

2. It promotes teamwork. At a Halloween party, your employees won’t likely be collaborating on marketing strategies—and that’s okay. Parties inspire a type of teamwork you don’t normally see in the workplace. Halloween-themed games are a great way to foster friendly competition—but maybe don’t go with bobbing for apples (yuck). Arrange a desk decorating contest, or even a pumpkin carving contest, where employees get to show off their creativity and bond with coworkers they don’t normally see.

You can also reinforce teamwork with a costume contest. Not everyone will want to dress up, but a contest can motivate workers to interact with each other, possibly thinking of group or department costumes. Costume contests can also cut down on party poopers in your office—though you don’t want to force everyone to dress up. The important thing is that you open the doors to employee creativity.

3. It’s just fun. Sometimes you don’t need a statistically backed reason to let your employees live it up—but here’s one anyway: Americans spend more time at work than in any other country. Work is a sort of second home to your employees—but it should only seem like a haunted house on Halloween. Give your employees an opportunity to let their hair down—depending on the costume, of course.

Holiday parties give employees the excuse to be themselves while getting to know others. Not only does it promote friendship, it may spark innovation, in the rare chance that they’re discussing work instead of whether ghosts are real.So even if you haven’t planned an office Halloween party, it’s not too late to start. Send around an email to plan a potluck and encourage dressing up. You can even invest in some spooky decorations to get everyone in the Halloween spirit. Your employees will thank you for it—and who knows? Maybe you’ll have fun too.Company culture is the lifeblood of business—and it all starts with exceptional HR management. At Asure Software, we know that your employees are of the utmost importance. That’s why we’ve created the People Success Platform: advanced technology offering easy-to-use services to simplify employee management. Simply put, Asure takes the management out of human capital management so you can forget about the confusing details and get on with what matters most—building your company.