Many employer’s throw work Christmas parties to celebrate all the hard work and contributions made by employees. Whilst it is nice to celebrate with work colleagues and for your employees to enjoy themselves, in previous years, we have heard how this has been taken too far and resulted in Employer’s being taken to Employment Tribunals, because Employer’s can be held vicariously liable for an employee’s actions.
Whilst we do not want you to panic and put a damper on the festive fun or spirit, you should remind all employees of how they are expected to behave before the party.
Even if you attempt to set out your expectations to staff, you never know how some staff may behave or in this instance misbehave. If the behaviour falls below the standards expected (misconduct or gross misconduct), you can look to deal with these issues in accordance with your Disciplinary Procedure. You should deal with any issues as soon as you become aware of them, and not wait to carry out any disciplinary action against staff.
You should ensure that when carrying out any disciplinary action, you comply with the ACAS Code of Practice, to ensure that the process followed was fair. If you have any questions, about how to deal with disciplinary matters, please do not hesitate to contact us ([email protected]).
The Do’s and Don’ts of the Christmas Party
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Do’s |
Don’ts
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| You should consider when and where the party will take place, will it take place during office hours or after office hours. If it is after office hours, some staff may struggle to attend due to childcare. You should also ensure that the location of the party is accessible for those with disabilities.
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Not all employees will want to attend the Christmas party and they should not be made to feel guilty or pressurised to attend.
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| Whilst some people like to have an alcoholic drink over the festive season, you should ensure that soft drinks are also made available for a variety of reasons such as:
• Pregnancy • Religious beliefs • Personal choice • Under 18
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You should consider whether a free bar is the best option. Usually, a free bar can be taken advantage of, with some staff seeing it as an opportunity to drink as much as possible. It may be better to limit the number of drinks staff can have on the evening.
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| Do staff have a safe way to get home? Ensure all staff have arranged transport prior to the party.
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Social media can be a challenge without adding alcohol to the mix. You may want to consider prohibiting staff from posting on both personal and business social media accounts. This should be communicated to staff prior to the party.
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| If the Christmas party takes place on a Thursday and staff are expected to attend work on Friday, you should explain to staff that they will be expected to attend work the following day and inform them how lateness and/or absenteeism will be dealt with.
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