The Office Christmas Party: How to avoid a HR Hangover

The highly anticipated annual office Christmas party epitomises the perfect out of hours staff get together, but if you’re not careful one too many shots coupled with a clash of personalities could make for a recipe for disaster! Here are Machins’ top tips for a trouble-free night of drinks, dancing and merriment without the throes of an agonising hangover for HR.

Monitor Alcohol Consumption

Days of the all-night free bar are probably over, but employers still need to give careful thought to the alcohol provisions. Most office parties involve at least some free drink on offer.  Employers should be careful to ensure that there is also good quality non-alcoholic drink available. The event should cater for those who, for various reasons don’t drink and employers would not wish to be perceived as overly promoting drinking. If any employee seems to be indulging a little too enthusiastically, it may be a good idea to pull them aside to have a word.

Any underage employees must not be permitted to drink, so keeping an eye on them at the event and making it clear that it would be a disciplinary offence to buy them alcohol is advisable.

Choose your venue carefully  

In some cases the venue itself may give rise to issues if it is considered inappropriate for some individuals so it is important to consider this when planning.

Be aware of the After Party

The office Christmas party, despite taking place outside of office hours and at a separate venue, can be considered an extension of the workplace, and most people are comfortable with the idea that if an incident occurred during the party it may be considered to be the responsibility of the employer. However, be wary that some incidents, even where they take place away from the official party, may still give rise to liability. Companies have been held liable for incidents such as assault between employees, during an unscheduled post-party drinking session.

Staff should be advised that any continuing celebrations beyond the Christmas party are not endorsed by the company and should be treated in accordance with the appropriate conduct that is expected of them. Any allegations of improper conduct should prompt the implementation of the standard disciplinary, grievance and equal opportunities policies, followed by proper investigations carried out upon returning to work.

Reputational Damage and Social Media Policy

As with most social events, photographs and videos may end up being posted to social media. These posts may not entirely align with the image that the employer wishes to promote and  could cause reputational damage. As such it is advisable that employees familiarise themselves with their companies’ social media policy and be mindful of what they share to their personal accounts.

Avoid Making Promises

As a general rule conversations relating to employees’ employment should be avoided in casual, informal settings particularly when under the influence of alcohol as there is a risk of saying something unintentional. It is important to remember that a promise by a manager could be held to be contractually binding even if the manager had thought they were only joking. The best advice for managers is not to discuss career potential or remuneration with subordinates at company social events, as words of encouragement and good intentions can end up being misinterpreted.

Secret Santa

Should companies decide to organise a Secret Santa, employers may wish to encourage employees to purchase neutral gifts that do not run the risk of being offensive. Gifts which appeal to selective humour should be avoided given that they could cause offence and thus form the basis of a discrimination claim.

Be Inclusive

Although the Christmas party is a Christian holiday it is important to ensure everyone feels welcome and included in the celebrations, but equally if they wish to not attend due to their own personal and/or differing religious beliefs this is also acceptable. Should employees wish to bring their partners along with them it is essential that employers are mindful that this can include individuals of differing sexual orientations. Catering for all manner of dietary requirements is also recommended as you may find due to personal, religious and/or cultural reasons employees avoid certain food and drink. Ensuring good quality non-alcoholic beverages and vegan, vegetarian options will also encourage employees who do not drink or avoid certain foods to feel included.

The Morning After

Fridays can be expensive in the Christmas season and so it may not be possible to avoid a weekday party. Think carefully about the arrangements. If the party is to generate goodwill, don’t ruin it by expecting everyone to be in the next morning after a big night. Consider allowing a late start as a further gesture of goodwill, particularly as employees are not habitually late and this is a one off directly resulting from an annual company event. Disciplinary action may be possible but it still must be reasonable. 

Conversation Starters

Whilst it is not desirable to police every aspect of the office social right down to what employees are allowed to talk about, it would be wise to save the politics for a night where the drinks are not flowing. Sensitive and controversial topics of conversation can be a buzzkill for light-hearted happy events and can all too often evoke the wrong reaction in individuals particularly where they’ve been drinking. As such employees should be advised to avoid politics and any other topics which can evoke passionate responses in individuals.

Establish Clear Boundaries

Given the risk of employment claims being forthcoming as a result of office Christmas parties employers should manage this risk by providing clear written guidance outlining acceptable standards of behaviour at work social events as well as the disciplinary sanctions that may be taken when in breach of the code of conduct.