How to Minimise HR and Health & Safety risks at the work Christmas party

The annual work Christmas party is the chance for colleagues to get together in the festive spirit and take a load off. However, workplace Christmas parties are also steeped infamy for being the source of a number of HR issues. Drunk and disorderly conduct, sexual harassment and damage to property are all frequently referenced in disciplinary hearings in the aftermath of the festive season.

As well as this, there is the Health and Safety perspective to take into consideration, do you need to conduct risk assessments? Yes. You do! Festive merriment (read alcohol consumption) can dull motor functions making the risk of slips trips and falls more prevalent, and then there’s the increased risk of fires over the festive period, with lights and decorations being the main culprits.

With all this, it might be enough to put an employer off organising an end of year celebration, however before scuppering festive plans you should consider the overwhelming benefits of allowing staff to get together and celebrate their annual achievements and the effect on morale.

HR and Health and Safety considerations don’t need to suck the excitement out of your staff Christmas party. As long as you're prepared and compliant you can deal with any situations if they arise in the correct manner.

For more information on ensuring both HR and Health and Safety compliance at your work Christmas party, contact Croner today on 0808 501 6651.

Set expectations on conduct before the event

This should be point number one on the agenda when it comes to planning a staff Christmas party. Outline the rules on conduct and appropriate behaviour, specify that you want people to have a good time and to relax, however, you should make note of the types of conduct that are not acceptable. This should hopefully discourage a work Christmas party HR mishap.  

You should take into consideration the following factors when outlining proper work Christmas party conduct: 

Define proper conduct 

You should remind staff that whilst this is a chance to have fun and unwind, that the rules of the workplace especially around employee conduct still apply. Physical and verbal abuse, discrimination etc are still not acceptable and will be dealt with via the company's disciplinary procedure. 

Ensure staff are aware of the new prevention of sexual harassment measures

A new duty to prevent sexual harassment for employers came into play earlier in October this year (2024). This means that employers should educate staff on the consequences of any misconduct relating to sexual harassment. The same applies to abuse and assault of a sexual nature. Remind staff that any offences could lead to a criminal investigation and charges. 

Be mindful of venue dress codes

Let staff know what is appropriate for them to wear on the night. The Christmas party dress code doesn’t necessarily have to be evening wear, you can opt for casual attire, but make sure that employees know ahead of time. If your party is taking place at a venue, then be sure to check if there are dress codes to obtain entrance. Staff showing up in their casual wear, when there is a strict ‘black-tie’ policy on the door could end in a disastrous night.

Refer staff to your social media policy

Whilst the temptation to live feed the entire event might be high with some employees; others might not relish the idea. Outline the rules on content being posted to social media platforms and refer staff to your company's social media policy if they are unsure. 

Remember: 

• Avoid posting compromising and/or inappropriate content
• You may require consent from employees before posting
• Avoid posting content that reflects badly on members of staff

Encourage ‘Responsible’ alcohol consumption

Rightly or wrongly, alcoholic drinks and Christmas go hand in hand. A couple of festive drinks (for those that do) is hardly going to cause a ruckus or ruffle feathers, however when party season comes around the temptation to go overboard can get the better of some. Excessive booze and respectable behaviour are seldom bedfellows and the same is also true of alcohol and safe behaviour. 

 

Intoxication is a common cause of gross-misconduct cases and employees should be made aware of the company's policy on alcohol (and substance abuse) before the event. Alcohol is also responsible for a good number of work party slip, trip and fall incidents so be sure to take all appropriate safety precautions in advance. 

 

It’s one thing for an employee to be a bit merry, get a cab home and feel a little worse for wear the next morning. Quite another for them to be paralytic, aggressive and get involved in a physical altercation with one of the doormen at the venue! 

Remember being drunk doesn’t excuse an employee of poor behaviour. There is also no excuse for an employee driving home intoxicated. Where necessary encourage employees to leave the car at home and, where possible, arrange transport to and from the event, not only will this drastically reduce the risk of a drunk driving incident and ensure that they (and other road users) get home safely but it also shows a duty of care towards your staff. 

Deal with issues on the night if necessary

If you witness an employee’s conduct getting a little out of order, the best course of action is to nip it in the bud before it becomes a bigger issue. Sometimes all that’s needed is taking someone aside and having a quiet word. Sometimes however, you might need to take things a little further, especially if alcohol or other substances are involved.

Just a few things an employer can do depending on the situation to address the situation are:

• Sending the employee home
• Arranging them to get a cab or a lift home
• De-escalate the situation if there is the threat of physical violence (if safe to do so)

Remember to not let the incident ruin yours or anyone else’s night. Be sure to follow up with the employee the next day to address the issue, this gives the employee a fair chance to present their version of events, even if they exhibited inappropriate behaviour.

Let the employee know that, based upon the severity of their actions they may be subject to disciplinary action, in line with your business’s disciplinary procedure. 

Dealing with lateness and absence the next day

If your work’s Christmas do is on an evening where the next day is a non-working day, then managing next-day lateness or no shows is not your issue as an employer. 

However, sometimes you might be required to host a Christmas party in the middle of the working week, which means that you could potentially have to deal with employees dragging themselves in late, after a particularly heavy night or calling in sick.

You can tackle this in numerous ways, offering incentives for staff to come into the office like ordering breakfast coffee for all staff, or offering perks like a later start time or flexible working hours as options.

Handling sickness absence might be a little more tricky. An employee might be genuinely sick, or they could be hungover.

How you choose to deal with the latter is at your discretion, if you have evidence to suggest that an employee is worse for wear, then you can go down the disciplinary route if you wish. But before you do, you should consider the employees track record, are they a good worker and have they got an otherwise clean record. If so, disciplining them could be a big demotivator and end up costing your company in the long run. 

Ensuring employees are fit to work the next day

You should make sure that employees who attended the night before’s festivities are still capable of showing up and performing the next day. 

This doesn’t mean conducting a witch hunt in the office for anyone who looks like they had a bit too much fun the night before, but it does mean if you have reasonable suspicion that an employee is at work under the influence of alcohol or drugs, then they are not fit to work and should be dealt with in accordance with your alcohol and drugs policy

If an employee is under the influence of alcohol or drugs then they should be sent home, this could include ordering them transport home if they require it. It might sound extreme, but this is imperative for the safety of not just your other members of staff but for themselves as well. 

Ensure that you are inclusive of dietary requirements in your food and drink menu

Some people might not eat meat for religious or personal reasons, some might not drink alcohol for the same reasons. It’s a good idea to include vegetarian and vegan options, Halal options as well as mocktails and soft drinks. Ensuring you have enough dietary options to cover all bases means that everyone can have a good time and not feel excluded. 

If an employee feels that they haven’t been considered in the menu or drinks options, then it’s important you take their concern seriously. There could also be concerns with food allergies, so as well as an inclusivity issue it could also be a health and safety issue. 

If it’s a potential hazard, conduct a risk assessment for it

Even if your work's Christmas party is a simple affair such as meeting at the pub for drinks and food… yes… you guessed it, you’ll need to do a risk assessment!  

Take into account any known and or potential hazards and take the appropriate steps to mitigate the risk and implement controls, if it isn’t possible to remove the risk entirely. 

Some commonplace work Christmas party health and safety considerations should be:

• Employ a responsible person to monitor health and safety at the event
• Ensure there are appropriate first aid provisions on site or at the venue
• Beware of slip, trip and fall hazards
• Encourage responsible drinking
• Provide means for staff to get home safely

Record your findings and all steps taken to address the potential hazard. If in the unfortunate case that an incident does occur during your Christmas work event, then you have presentable evidence that you took all necessary and reasonable precautions to ensure people’s safety. 

I’m holding my party in a separate venue; do I need to do a risk assessment? 

In short, yes! Employer sponsored social events held in alternate venues are still the responsibility of the employer and your duty of care still applies, this means you will have to consider all the hazards involved, this also includes getting to and from the venue. 

If you hold a traditional in-office Christmas party then it should come as no surprise that you will have to conduct a risk assessment, this includes things such as conducting a fire risk assessment if there are decorations up around the office. 

Contact Croner for more Health & safety and HR advice

With over 80 years of experience of offering employers like you advice on all things HR, Employment Law and Health and Safety, we can advise on practically any workplace concern you may encounter.

With the recent changes to legislation now under enforcement, now is the time to ensure your business’s compliance.

Call today on 0808 501 6651 and talk to our award winning advisory team.