HR Tips

#003

CHRISTMAS PARTY SEASON IS OFFICIALLY OVER! A REVIEW OF THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY SIDE OF CHRISTMAS PARTIES!

Did things get out of hand at your staff Christmas party? Was there trouble on the dancefloor?

1. ENSURE YOU HAVE AN ANNUAL LEAVE POLICY

Employers should find it encouraging to know their staff are willing to build strong and meaningful relationships with fellow work colleagues. It is essential that employers provide employees with the opportunity to celebrate the festive season together as a means of strengthening such relationships. Organising Christmas parties can also be a useful means for employers to show their appreciation for employees.

The harsh reality of the Christmas party season is that not all experiences are positive, as 90% of employers have experienced an issue arising from a Christmas party. A further 10% of employees claim they know someone who has been disciplined or sacked as a result of something which happened or is connected to the Christmas party.

Employers need to understand they have a duty of care towards all employees and they can be held vicariously liable for any one employees’ action against another. This can even occur if the incident takes place off-site and/or outside of normal working hours, just as Christmas Parties do.

So, as a business how do you mitigate the risks associated with Christmas parties whilst still maintaining an event which is enjoyable for all employees?

Staff Christmas Party Top Tips – Avoiding Trouble on the Dancefloor

• Employees are provided with a clear policy on the code of conduct expected at work related social events such as office parties, outlining what is unacceptable behaviour, highlighting anti-bullying and harassment policy and refamiliarizing employees with the company’s social media policy.

• Employers must be aware they can be held vicariously liable for actions of employees at work related social events, if deemed to be committed in the course of employment. A risk assessment is encouraged to be completed to identify any factors related to this and mitigate the risks of any claims.

• Employers should ensure they have taken all reasonably practicable action as preventative measures for any potential third-party harassment of employees, e.g. selecting venue location for parties.

• Ensure party attendees are provided with adequate levels of food and water, with a suggested cut off time for free alcohol being served. These are preventative measures to reduce the impact and negative implications of alcohol on employees.

• At Christmas Parties, designate a few senior members of staff with the task of overseeing and monitoring activities of employees and their alcohol intake. They should be aware of guidelines of how to deal with drunk or disorderly employees.

• Employees calling in sick the day after the Christmas party is common, due to the result of drinking or eating to excess. Employers should remind staff of policies and procedures in relation to sickness absence, to minimise such sickness absence.