Keeping your work christmas party a celebration for everyone

Many businesses consider Christmas to be a great time to offer thanks  to your staff for their support over the year. However, getting the message over properly isn’t as easy as some might think, and making your work Christmas party a celebration for everyone is a legal essential. For most firms, the staff party is the best way to reward staff and even though the event generally happens offsite and after hours, employment law still has something to say on the subject. Employers can find themselves in hot water when staff overindulge. As countless lawyers and HR managers will tell you, alcohol can be the root cause of many a tribunal claim. Wise employers limit the amount of alcohol on tap and provide that there should be non-alcoholic drinks freely available. If there’s an open bar, they also give staff vouchers for a set number of drinks. It follows that employers are advised to tell employees what is acceptable at the event and what the penalties will be if they overstep the mark. Because religious beliefs may differ, it’s important to think about how the event can be as inclusive as possible. Some may not drink alcohol and others may have restricted diets. Being as accommodating as possible can avoid complaints and ensuring that any entertainment won’t offend is another sensible move. It’s worth remembering that staff can be offended in ways other than food, drink and entertainment, so those wanting to run a Secret Santa need to manage the process. The problem is that because there’s anonymity in the giving, staff may forget that what one might see as funny might be offensive to another. A polite briefing beforehand will help everyone understand what is acceptable and what is not. Hopefully commonsense will prevail so that the party will be held at the end of the working week. Some will consume more than they can cope with, and with alcohol potentially staying in the body until the following day you’ll not want staff driving into work or carrying out their jobs while under the influence. Equally they’ll not perform well if hung over. If the party is midweek (or the business is open the next day) it’s also worth reminding staff that they’ll still be required in the following day.