The holiday season has arrived, and with it holiday parties. Many employers and employees look forward to holiday parties as an opportunity to connect and celebrate the season.
At the same time, workplace holiday parties involve potential liability risks that employers should be aware of and address in order to ensure a safe and successful event. To that end, here are some tips for keeping your holiday parties safe.
Planning the event
- If possible, consider hosting your holiday party away from a work site or office.
- Consider the accessibility of all guests when choosing a venue. Select an option that is close to public transit or other safe transportation options. Additionally, ensure the venue complies with all applicable safety regulations.
- If supplying alcohol for your event, hire a professionally staffed bar and servers trained to identify signs of intoxication. Avoid having an open or unsupervised bar.
- Consider limiting alcohol consumption through the use of a ticket system for the bar, or otherwise.
- Plan to provide plenty of food, covering a wide range of dietary needs and restrictions, as well as non-alcoholic drink options.
- Avoid games or decorations that might encourage any dangerous or unwelcome behaviour.
Before the event
- Remind employees they have a personal responsibility not to drive after consuming alcohol or cannabis. Encourage employees to make plans in advance to get home safely. To facilitate this, consider providing employees with taxi vouchers, or offering to reimburse their transportation home and communicate this to guests before your event.
- Remind employees of workplace policies which are still applicable during holiday parties. Consider reviewing these policies with all your staff. As otherwise, expectations regarding bullying, harassment, discrimination, and maintaining a respectful workplace remain operative.
- As excited as they might be to participate in the festivities, if any employee is showing signs of illness encourage them to stay home.
- Ensure that you have an adequate liability insurance policy in place to cover the event.
During the event
- Implement safeguards to identify and support employees who show signs of intoxication and/or who need assistance making their way home. These can be effectively implemented by speaking with any trained bartenders and servers both before and during the event. Consider appointing someone to take on this responsibility.
- Clearly make known when your holiday party will end and has ended. Employees may choose to continue the festivities elsewhere after your event is over, and it is best that there is a clear line between what is a work function and what is not.
- Lastly, lead by example. Be sure to drink responsibly, eat, hydrate, and look out for your colleagues.
From the team at Harris & Company, happy holidays and happy new year!
