Research by Croner, business and employment consultants, suggests that half of office parties end up with colleagues fighting, one in three with incidents of sexual harassment and one in five with accidents involving employees.
Croner advise employers to:
- issue a “party policy” stating the responsibilities of employees and employer and clarifying unacceptable behaviour such as bullying and fighting
- identify potential hazards, for example by inspecting the venue and considering the safety of people going home
- ensure invitations to husbands and wives are extended to partners of the same sex to avoid potential sexual orientation discrimination claims
- managers should avoid discussing promotion, career prospects or salary with employees as they will expect “promises” made under the influence of alcohol to be kept
- limit the number of free drinks and be prepared to warn staff to take it easy on drink —employers may be held responsible for drink-induced disasters
- ensure food is safe to eat — buffets present a particularly high risk of food poisoning from foods such as cooked meats, eggs and mayonnaise, which should not be left out at room temperature for more than 90 minutes and should be stored below 5 degrees centigrade
- inform or remind staff of the company’s view on relationships — romantic encounters at office parties can cause embarrassment afterwards and put a strain on working relationships
- warn employees against drink driving, also provide numbers of local taxi firms or hire a minibus
- be clear about what will be expected of employees the morning after — where employees need to drive or operate machinery they should either be advised beforehand not to drink too much or be given alternative work until they are fit to resume their normal tasks.
Comments