3 Top Tips for Employers During Christmas Party Season
The work Christmas party can be the event of the year, but employers should ensure they have the necessary protections in place to prevent any potential claims stemming from the behaviour of their employees during the festive proceedings.
The following tips apply equally to other work-related social events.
1. Be aware of the risk of claims: An employer can be liable for the acts committed by an employee if there is a sufficient connection between the acts and the employee's employment. This is known as vicarious liability. It does not matter that the employer itself is not the primary wrongdoer. This means that if, for example, one employee assaulted another employee during the course of a work Christmas party, the employer could be liable for that. Employers should also be aware that events that occur after the formal work-related events end, such as post-Christmas party drinks are not necessarily beyond the scope of vicarious liability.
2. Ensure you have appropriate policies in place: An employer should have appropriate and robust policies in place which cover the standards of behaviour expected by its employees at work parties - of course, this extends beyond just Christmas parties. The policies should also give examples of the types of behaviours which are unacceptable.
3. Take steps to prevent employees behaving badly: Employees should be made aware of the policies which their employer has in place and the standards of behaviour expected by them. They should also be made aware of the consequences if such standards are not adhered to. Employers should consider putting appropriate training in place to cover equal opportunities, bullying and harassment and standards of conduct.