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CHRISTMAS PARTY HANGOVERS- WAKING UP WITH MORE THAN JUST A SORE HEAD
Charles McHugh of Halborns, a Times Best Law Firm 2019, which provides the BMF Intelligent Employment Plus service, offers some timely advice on appropriate behaviour at office parties...
WITH CHRISTMAS ALMOST upon us, the festive cheer is growing, the jumpers are out, you’re not yet tired of Christmas songs on the radio, and the work party is the next big date in the diary. Festive frolics always make December a busy month here in the Halborns office, which prompts the question; are your people on the same page as to what constitutes appropriate behaviour out of hours? A recent case serves as an important reminder. An impromptu ‘after party’ following a Christmas works-do led to a managing director punching his sales manager resulting in a fractured skull and brain haemorrhage. The company was found to be vicariously liable for his actions. There was sufficient connection between his job role as MD and wrongful conduct. The MD’s outburst “I (expletive) make the decisions”, was a demonstration of authority. The facts of this case may well be exceptional, but without dealing a dose of ‘bah humbug’, it’s prime time to review your approach and protect your business from waking up with more than just a hangover this festive season.
Policies
Think equal opportunities, confidentiality, harassment and behaviour outside of work. ‘Punch-ups’ aren’t your only risk; there is also sexual harassment, bullying, loose lips with sensitive information, to name but a few.
Without dealing a dose of ‘bah humbug’, it’s prime time to review your approach and protect your business from waking up with more than just a hangover this festive season.
Ambassadors Ensure your people, your leadership and management team understand that they are as much an ‘ambassador’ for your business outside of work hours as they are inside. This means they should continue to portray your values and reduce the risk of potential reputational damage at all times.
Alternatives
To reduce risk, have the right policies in place and ensure they’re up to date, clearly communicated and understood. Be sure to communicate well in advance of any events to avoid throwing a damp squib over proceedings on the night!
Communication “Forget about work and have a great time” – we’ve all heard that said before. But given the circumstances surrounding the case mentioned it’s sage advice. Avoiding ‘shop’ and work discussions will reduce the risk of a sufficient connection being made to any subsequent (negative) actions, as well as the chance of discussions turning sour and employees feeling the need to express their authority over one another.
December 2018
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
A growing culture of reward and engagement make nights out an easy option for businesses. But alcohol mixed with festive over- exuberance can, and may, lead to poor decisions which can easily result in reputational and financial damage for your business. Why not get creative? How about team away days, or activities and events that shift the focus away from the consumption of alcohol? Or if drinks are involved, set a budget rather than covering the cost all night?
We enjoy a knees-up as much as the next person, and hopefully haven’t knocked too much stuffing out of yours! We sincerely hope your festive season goes off without a hitch, but we know all too well that often after one too many mulled wines, poor decisions and inappropriate behaviour aren’t too hard to find. As the exclusive employment law partner to the BMF, and a Times Best Law Firm 2019, our BMF Intelligent Employment Plus service offers proactive support to tackle such issues early and effectively. It provides unlimited, fixed cost general employment
advice from two commercially minded employment lawyers, who are experts at working within your sector.
You also get access to our bank of our up-to-date, contemporary and commercially robust employment law documents and policies to ensure you’re on the front foot should the unfortunate arise – including our updated ‘Out and About’ policy which will make sure you are ready for the festive season. BMJ
For more information on BMF Intelligent Employment Plus, get in touch at
info@halborns.com or call 0115 718 0333.
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