Office Christmas parties can get out of hand. Photo: Julian Kingma
‘Tis the season to be organising the office Christmas party. From an employer’s perspective there’s so much to do, but there’s also a lot of responsibility (read: liability) that, if ignored, could take much of the jolliness out of the celebration. Here are seven ways to minimise the risk.
Provide notice: Remind staff in advance that even though the event is held off-site, the code of conduct that applies in the office applies at the party. It’s not unusual for an intoxicated colleague to make moves on another, and if those moves are unwelcome, the aggrieved colleague might lodge a harassment claim.
For some co-workers, seductive moves on the dancefloor will be welcome, and that’ll provide juicy fodder for the gossip mill at work. For others, those moves will have the opposite effect.
Set times: Clearly state on the invitations the time the party starts and the time it ends. And then, at the event, stick to the schedule. This provides you with an explicit period of time during which your organisation is responsible for the welfare of employees.
Organise transport: In some states, employers might be liable for injuries that occur to employees as they’re travelling to and from work, and this includes getting to and from the Christmas party. Since drunken employees are at higher risk of harm, consider arranging for a bus to take them home – or cab vouchers. Or even just hold the event at a place where public transport is easily available.
If employees decide to continue partying elsewhere, your liability usually stops there. But if managers go along to the afterparty, liability becomes a grey area – especially if they start paying for drinks. All of a sudden, the afterparty may be interpreted as being an extension of the main Christmas event.
Minimise pressure: Some staff might want to avoid the party because they see it as a Christian occasion to which they don’t subscribe. Others might hate the thought of buying a Kris Kringle gift or of receiving one that’s inappropriate.
And then there are those that loathe fancy dress (can you blame them?), or detest drinking with colleagues, or maybe they’d rather hang out with their family instead. So, be mindful of staff who are forced to do stuff they don’t want to do outside of work hours. They should have the option of opting out.
Empower supervisors: Have at least a couple of people whose role it is to oversee the event. Oh, and they have to be sober. If there’s an emergency or any improper behaviour, they need to be able to respond coherently without slurring their words and stumbling over themselves.
They should also have enough authority to make on-the-spot decisions without seeking approval from someone higher up in the hierarchy. If a troublemaker needs to be sent home, it might make it difficult if the person in charge of evictions happens to be the newly-hired mail clerk.
Control alcohol: Be aware of those who are already legless, and ceasing the service of drinks to those people. Also, 18 is the minimum drinking age, so the work experience kid is probably prohibited by law from drinking booze. And have enough food and non-alcoholic drinks available to soften the impacts of excessive drinking.
Decorate carefully: If you and your team are organising the decorations, watch out for safety hazards. I’ll never forget the employee who had to be rushed to hospital because she used an unstable desk-chair rather than a stepladder to hang a wreath on a wall. Plus, watch you don’t place flammable decorations, like tinsel and glittery signs, near hot appliances such as lights and heaters.
Writing the above made me feel like a killjoy, and that’s despite leaving much off the list, such as the use of drugs, the drunken conversations that would otherwise remain confidential, and the effects of coming to work with a hangover. Regardless, none of the above is laborious to put in place. And none of it will dampen the festive cheer. But all of it prevents the spirit of ‘ho ho ho’ turning into a night of ‘oh oh oh’.
Follow James Adonis on Twitter @jamesadonis
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