Ah yes, those artistic (weird) perfume ads with varying celebs have hit the TV screens so it must mean that Christmas is just around the corner. That means that all of those fun end of year celebrations are almost upon us too and while we don’t want to be party poopers, this is our annual reminder of things you need to do to minimise January headaches!
Should you party on down?
We might be HR consultants but we are NOT the fun police. Celebrating together is important and it’s the perfect time of year to get your team all in the one place and thank them for their work. So yes, we are fully in favour of parties but there are some recommendations you need to consider to minimise risks.
Policies are always in play!
Hopefully you’ve got your policies sorted, you’ve communicated them to your team and you have proof that they’ve read and understood them (this bit is really important as it often forms the basis of a unfair dismissal decision!). Policies are there to protect your business AND your people – they are not just a box ticking exercise to be compliant.
Notably, draw attention to your harassment, bullying and misconduct policies as these are often the areas that we need to look at when trouble happens at a work function. Why? Because when you mix alcohol, end of year exhaustion, and coworkers, things can go from "Silent Night" to "Fight Night" faster than you can say "Get HR Staff n’ Stuff on the phone."
Significantly, as an employer, you also have a positive legal duty under the Respect@Work legislation to take reasonable and proportionate measures to prevent unlawful behaviour. Part of this responsibility is ensuring you have been proactive in educating and informing your team as to acceptable and safe behaviour at work functions as well as in the workplace.
Also consider flagging some specific policies in the lead up to your event, such as your drugs and alcohol policy as well as your bullying and harassment one. Just because it is a party, be clear that the consumption of illegal drugs will not be tolerated and that there is an expectation that alcohol will be consumed responsibly, and that consuming alcohol will not be permitted as an excuse for unacceptable behaviour.
For various businesses, there may be the requirement for some employees to return to the workplace after a function and this may require complete abstinence and will need to be made very clear to those impacted by the policy.
We may think that social media is the province of teenagers, but it can wreak havoc in your business. Alcohol and candid photo shots can humiliate the subject and could result in a bullying or harassment claim. Tagging your business in a post that doesn’t position your company in a great light is definitely something you want to avoid as well so be very clear as to consequences that could come from partying and posting. Check that you have a social media policy in place as well, and if you don’t, let us know if you need some help creating one!
Party parameters
When communicating to your team about any celebrations, be very clear about when the party ends. You must delineate as to when the fun is under the banner of a work-related event as opposed to an impromptu continuation or after party that is completely separate to the company sanctioned festivities. Make sure that you adhere to this decision also.
For example, if you set an end time of 10:30pm but continue to purchase drinks for everyone past this time, you will leave yourself open to bearing responsibility for any issues that might arise. These issues might be as simple as someone tripping and spraining an ankle to more serious sexual harassment matters. These incidents may still have occurred but they may not have involved your business if you follow your own instructions and were clear that the official work party was over. If employees choose to party on after that, so be it but it is under their own steam.
We typically recommend that business owners and senior leaders don’t continue after the official end time – it’s makes it much clearer that the work event has ended in the event of an issue arising. You may enjoy their company but your employees are not your ‘friends’ and are your responsibility so when you’re with them, it’s ‘work’.
OHS is still a priority
Just because it’s party time and you aren’t in your regular workplace, it doesn’t mean your OHS obligations go away. That’s right, when you hold a work related function, you still need to prioritise the physical and mental safety of your employees.
Actions to take can be ensuring the safe serving of alcohol, being clear about behavioural expectations, choosing venues that are safe and maybe providing the means to get home (understanding that not everyone can afford to cover taxis for all employees but choosing a venue near public transport might be an important consideration).
You can still have fun
Just because there are serious responsibilities around work functions, it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. As stated, we absolutely encourage celebrating your year, your team and any of the successes you have had over the year. Being out on the front foot when it comes to averting drama is the key meaning you can all then relax and enjoy the fun.
As a side note, more and more businesses are eliminating some of these issues by having day time structured events that include fun activities that the team can do together, rather than making the focus eating and drinking…. Take a pause and consider whether an alcohol free event in favour of a fun activity is the right way for you to go… or give it some thought for next year!
As always, the HR Staff n’ Stuff team are here to help if you require support communicating the party ground rules. And we are also always here to help if you do have any issues that arise as a result of the function.
