Holiday parties are the seasonal event of the year that many employees and employers look forward to. However, many companies worry that hosting a late-night party can encourage risky behavior amongst staff members. Focus on reducing your liability this holiday season by considering the following four-holiday party tips:
Limit the Alcoholic Beverages
While alcoholic beverages are often synonymous with holiday parties, this doesn’t need to be the case for a corporate holiday party. Many companies ban any spirits or liquor at their parties, effectively eliminating the potential for any disastrous situations. If you do plan to have alcohol at your company’s holiday party, consider providing employees with drink tickets. This way, employees don’t have the opportunity to have a free-for-all with their drinks.
Decorate for All Holidays
Despite what particular holiday an employer may celebrate, it isn’t advisable to decorate for just one holiday. During this time of year, HR professionals remind employers to celebrate all the holidays by including a varied assortment of decorations. If you’d prefer to steer clear of specific holidays altogether, try decorating with a “winter wonderland” theme in mind.
Monitor Guests’ Behaviors
While your staff members may be hard-working and respectful during the workday, inviting your team members to let loose at a holiday party may inadvertently encourage them to engage in bad behavior. Avoid any potential issues by making it a point to keep an eye on your employees. Whether it’s an HR representative or another person from management, it’s essential to monitor everything from building maintenance to guest behavior to make sure no accidents, emergencies, or inappropriate activities occur.
Remind Party-Goers of the “Respect” Policy
As you gear up for a holiday party, don’t forget to share your “respect” policy with your employees. By spelling out what’s allowed and what isn’t, employers are better able to manage the behavior of their staff members. This policy should clearly discourage employees from anything like sexual harassment, excessive drinking, interrupting conversations with management, asking coworkers inappropriate questions, or driving home after drinking. By taking the necessary precautions to remind employees of proper holiday party etiquette, companies will be able to avoid a potential HR disaster.
Make sure your upcoming company holiday party is something that all team members can enjoy. Avoid the potential for an emergency situation by keeping these four tips in mind.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan
