Top 5 Holiday Party Tips
In case you haven’t noticed, the holiday season is upon us. Every year, we get questions about what employers should (and shouldn’t) do when it comes to holiday parties to avoid winding up in court (or in jail).
Let’s start with some interesting statistics:
- only 62% of companies are having a party this year — the highest degree of humbuggery on record (compared to 77% last year and 90% in 2007);
- of those having parties, 64% will be employee-only events and 29% will be scaled back from last year’s festivities;
- fewer employers are planning parties during work hours (43% versus 57% last year) and/or on company premises (29% versus 35% last year); and
- most parties will be potluck-ish, with only 36% (versus 57% last year) saying they’ll use a caterer.
So, what are the latest and greatest tips for avoiding legal liability without being too much of a Scrooge? Ask and you will receive . . .
- Have a party. Employees need one this year more than ever.
- Set expectations. Tell employees in advance what will and won’t be allowed. Remind managers to act like managers and to be on the lookout for potential misconduct.
- Don’t serve alcohol. If you do: (a) use tickets or some other system to limit the number of drinks; (b) use professional bartenders — not managers — to serve drinks, check IDs and monitor consumption; (c) offer lots of non-alcoholic beverages; and (d) provide taxis, hotel rooms and/or designated drivers for employees who over-indulge.
- Consider inviting spouses. Doing so can help discourage bad behavior and has the side benefit of boosting good feelings about the company at home (unless the party’s a total dud).
- Watch The Office. Rent Season 2, watch the episode entitled “Christmas Party” and do the exact opposite of everything you see.
Enjoy!
(Sources: Challenger, Gray & Christmas; Towers, Perrin; Fisher & Phillips, LLC)
