Contributed by Eden Gillott, president of Gillott Communications, a crisis PR and bankruptcy communications firm. She participates in the Entrepreneurs’ Organization’s Accelerator program in Los Angeles.

It’s surprising, but there’s a spike in people and companies landing themselves in hot water around the holidays.

In prior years, it was mostly due to the added family-related pressure and drama that often accompanies the holidays. This year, it’s compounded with COVID fatigue, being separated from our loved ones and deep political divide. The added stress tests our systems, making us more prone to making poor judgment calls.

It doesn’t matter what business you run or the industry you’re in. At the end of the day, we’re all people, and people make mistakes. If you are the business owner or a key member of leadership, the buck stops with you.