Make Your Christmas Party a Cracker with these festive HR tips! Soon you’ll be having your work Christmas party, which is supposed to end the year on a festive note, right? But how can you ensure it will be fireworks and not firing at work? You might want to read over a few of these tips to ensure the morning after isn’t such a headache…

1. There’ll be no lack of food and drink, but there will be a lack of inhibitions! So always remember that the Christmas party is a work-related event, even if it isn’t on company premises or within normal office hours. Ensure your policies on work-related events, equal opportunities, bullying, harassment and social media are up-to-date and widely known. Before a drop touches their lips, staff should have a gentle reminder that activities at the party are not exempt from disciplinary procedures.
2. Twitter and Facebook– invite everybody to the party! Remind employees not to put up inappropriate photos of themselves or their colleagues on any social media.
3. Traditional Christmas decorations– do not breach health and safety rules but you should carry out a proper risk assessment and check that decorations are sited safely, especially those that are potential fire hazards. Also check all electrical equipment . . . and remember to turn off the tree lights before going home!
4. Don’t let your Secret Santa morph into Sordid Santa! All gifts between staff should be non-offensive, which means they should be told that giving items such as skimpy lingerie to a colleague to get a cheap laugh is strictly off-limits.
5. A promise is for life, not just for Christmas– so don’t get embroiled in any drink-fuelled chats about promotion or pay rises. Employees might remember the conversation when they wake up the next morning even if you don’t!
6. Employees who do not wish to attend are not all relatives of Ebenezer Scrooge! Remember, the Christmas party is an invitation event and not, therefore, compulsory. Family commitments may prevent some people from attending; others may want to stay away on religious grounds. Invite everyone but don’t presume they’ll all be delighted at the prospect of spending valuable leisure time with their colleagues.
7. Drink-driving is an obvious no-no, but employers could find themselves responsible for an employee who drives under the influence from the party. As well as issuing appropriate advice, arrange transport home or overnight accommodation
8. Free bars can be very costly! It has been known for a Tribunal to award unfair dismissal to employees sacked for post party brawling because the employer had condoned their behaviour by providing a free bar. Therefore, it might be wise to restrict the amount of free alcohol available, and have a quiet word with anyone who seems worse for wear. Also ensure there is a plentiful supply of soft drinks and water for those who prefer it, as well as for those who need it for re-hydration purposes.
9. The morning after the night before can be challenging to say the least, so don’t expect miracles from your staff. Also, let everyone know beforehand if you are going to relax time-keeping as this will avoid any ambiguity.

The S4B Team hope that your Christmas party is a remarkable event for all the right reasons, and we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas. S4B are a team of Chartered Accountants based in Maidenhead who specialise in making your business profitable. Send our team an email at [email protected] or call 01628 623444 to see how we can help your business reach its full potential.