Deck The Halls, Not Your Colleagues!

The Lewis Silkin employment team received an interesting query from a new client this week which we thought we would share as a lesson to employers when planning their office party this festive season.

Mrs. Claus runs Polar Parcel Express Limited, a high speed courier service famed for delivering packages across continents in record time on Christmas Eve. December is peak season and Mrs. Claus is facing challenges with her seasonal workforce. They are represented by their union, Sleigh the Bosses, which has long raised grievances about excessive night shifts and mandatory carol singing.

Against this backdrop of frosty industrial relations, the annual Christmas party took place. Unfortuately, Rudolph, the company's Head of Delivery, could not attend as he was unable to access the upstairs venue because of a broken leg. The party began merrily with steaming mugs of hot chocolate and generous slices of yule log. But soon, mulled wine flowed freely, followed by rounds of baby guinness shots and inappropriate advances under the mistletoe!

One supervisor was found asleep under the dessert table, while another attempted to "sled" down the staircase on a serving tray, injuring an intern in the process.

Union shop steward, Noel, loudly confronted Mrs Claus about overtime pay, shouting across the room. When the Finance Director, Mr Nickels tried to intervene, the argument escalated into a fight witnessed by dozens of staff.

Several employees live-streamed the chaos, tagging the company in Instagram posts that quickly went viral, damaging the company's reputation.

Top tips for employers this festive season

It's now a few days later and Mrs. Claus needs advice on how to deal with the situation. As we continue to advise Mrs Claus, we thought it would be helpful to share our tips which we hope 'yule' find helpful in the run up to your office Christmas party:

1. Make sure everyone is invited - You should not assume that an employee will not want to come to a party because they're on maternity leave or sick leave. Invite everyone but do not make attendance compulsory – there may be valid reasons why an employee may not want to attend.

2. Ensure that the venue is suitable for all employees, including disabled employees, and has an option for all special dietary requirements.

3. Remind employees in advance about the company's behavioural expectations and policies in relation to disciplinary and grievance, harassment and social media.

4. If an incident arises, be prepared to deal with any inappropriate behaviour or complaints in the same way as if the incident had occurred during working hours. Follow your policies and procedures to the letter.

5. Whether an office Christmas party takes place within working hours, out of hours, in or outside of the office, it's important to remind your employees that the office party is considered an extension of the working environment.

6. Encourage employees to either pre-book taxis or research late night public transport options.

7. Be sensible about the level and frequency of alcohol supplied. Ensure you have non-alcoholic alternatives available.

8. Ditch the mistletoe – it's more hassle than it's worth!

9. Most importantly, have fun!