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Tips on avoiding Christmas party HR problems
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Christmas parties are an opportunity for you to show staff that you appreciate their work and can be a great way of boosting staff morale. However, no matter how much of the year is spent planning the festive night out, you can find yourself managing the problems Christmas parties often cause well into the New Year.
Based on my 15 years of experience in employment/HR law I have listed below some common problems such parties create - and tips on how to avoid them!
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What if an employee gets drunk at the party and wants to drive home?
You may think that you do not have any responsibility for what an employee chooses to do on a night out. However, you do have a “duty of care” towards employees and as it is an event organised by your company you should take some responsibility and, at the very least, encourage your employees not to drink drive. Think about the timing of the event so that people are able to use public transport and, to be particularly helpful, you could circulate telephone numbers of local taxi firms beforehand. If you really feel like pushing the boat out this year you may decide to lay on free transport at the end of the night.
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How do you avoid the situation where people don’t turn up for work the day after the party?
Unfortunately, there will always be occasions where someone over indulges on the night of the party and doesn’t come into work the following day, however there are some practical preparations that can be made to reduce absences to a minimum. Apart from the obvious steps to prevent people getting too drunk, such as making sure there are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks and food, you may also want to remind staff in advance that unless there is a genuine reason for their absence it will be considered to be unauthorised and may lead to disciplinary action being taken against them.
Of course you could always organise the party on a Friday if you don’t usually open on a Saturday!
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What if you offend employees of other religion and beliefs by having a Christmas party?
Just because the party is being held around this time of year does not mean that it is solely a Christian event. As I said at the start of this article Christmas parties are usually a thank you to staff for their work over the year rather than a celebration of specific religions. On the whole, they tend to be secular celebrations where staff are given the opportunity to socialise with each other outside the work environment. However, it would be wise to try and accommodate specific requirements which you are aware of such as having soft drinks available to those who do not consume alcohol and having a vegetarian option on the menu for those who do not eat meat.
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What if a member of staff is subjected to sexual harassment by another member of staff during the party?
In practical terms there is little difference between an employee being harassed at the Christmas party or during normal working hours. Social events outside work, organised by the employer will usually be viewed by courts and tribunals as being an extension of work to which the usual rules on discrimination will apply. Employers will be responsible for discriminatory acts carried out by their employees unless they are able to show that they have made reasonable attempts to prevent such treatment. This will apply equally to all types of harassment (including race, religion, age, sexual orientation etc), not just sexual harassment. You should have up to date policies on bullying, harassment and discrimination (especially in light of the Equality Act 2010 which was implemented in October this year) and staff should be made aware in advance of the penalties for breaching these policies. If any discriminatory behaviour does take place, act swiftly to ensure these issues are properly investigated and resolved.
Hopefully you have found the above helpful or at the very least it has given you areas to think about before the big night. However, if you have already held your party and need advice on any problems caused, or need advice on any other HR/employment issue, please contact me.
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