What Not To Do At The Work Christmas Party
By James Cox, Lawyer, MST Lawyers
Christmas parties are great for staff morale. It’s a time to thank your employees for their hard work and encourage them to come back in the new year. The problem with any party (or at least any good one) is that it can involve the consumption of sometimes large amounts of alcohol. There is always one person, right?
Before your big event, we recommend you send an email around reminding employees that:
- the Christmas party is a work function;
- normal HR policies apply, including Drug and Alcohol, Sexual Harassment, Bullying and Complaints etc. (even better, provide a link to these documents);
- the use of illicit drugs and excessive drinking (of the alcoholic kind) will not be tolerated;
- any inappropriate behaviour at the party could be the subject of disciplinary action that may include termination of employment; and
- they should not drink and drive.
It is also a good idea to provide travel options to and from the event. This could be a staff bus, designated drivers or handing out cab charges (before the event).
These steps are pretty simple and will reduce your risk of an HR disaster this Christmas. From the Employment Team at MST, we wish you all the best this festive season and look forward to working with you next year.
For more information, contact our Employment Law team by calling +61 3 8540 0200 or send an email to workplace@mst.com.au
