Updated: 22 November 2024
For most people, the Christmas season is an exciting time. A long year is coming to an end, holidays are near, and summer is here (or almost). Then there's the work Xmas party.
They are a thing of myth and legend. Stories abound of how previously mild-mannered employees and managers took the opportunity to let their hair down just a little too far.
These days, most New Zealand companies recognise that letting the staff cut loose at the Xmas party poses potential risks to health and safety, their reputation, or could even have serious legal repercussions.
As a result, some Xmas work functions are a little more buttoned-down or, in some cases, don't really happen at all.
But that doesn't mean you need to kill all the joy. Not throwing a Christmas party (or having a simple, dull one) may mean you miss a valuable opportunity for you and your people to get together in a relaxed setting.
Parties are a chance to celebrate success and show employees how much you appreciate their efforts over the year, which in turn helps keep everyone motivated and improves staff retention.
So here are a few important things to keep in mind when you're planning and attending this year's Xmas party.
Key words: Moderation and respect
Let’s be honest, Christmas parties are not the issue. Alcohol is the issue and the way some people behave when they drink too much.
So, here's a totally crazy idea – why not do something that doesn't focus solely on alcohol?
There are plenty of activities that don't revolve solely around drinking. Try bowling, go-cart racing, white-water rafting, or a child-friendly picnic or BBQ at a local park with games, music, face painting etc.
You could partner with a charity to clean up a nearby beach. Or redirect the party budget to buy your people a small Xmas gift and then host a morning tea or lunch with secret Santa on your last day of work. Give people the afternoon off.
If these ideas just sound like a total snooze and you cannot possibly fathom the idea of a Christmas function without liquor, here are some tips:
- Make sure a few of your team remain sober… no, not just the boss or HR folks!
- Have plenty of food and structure the event around the food, so it gets eaten.
- Have plenty of tasty non-alcoholic options - there are heaps on the market these days.
- Don't push drinks and respect people's decision not to drink.
- Organise transport – if the company is putting on alcohol then you have an obligation to ensure everyone's safety, which includes getting people home safely.
- Don’t go overboard with the quantities of liquor and remember it’s against the law to serve alcohol to drunk people.
- Have a clear finish time, so it doesn’t drag into the night… or the next morning.
Trust that most people (the vast majority, in fact) are mature and restrained enough to know how to have a good time without taking the expression 'the silly season' too literally.
Create a staff party policy
Of course, there are some people that can get a little rowdy or find they can't control themselves quite as the company and colleagues would expect.
There may also be people who don't celebrate Christmas or who find staff parties an anxious time. They may find social situations stressful, or they may have had a bad experience at a previous work event, been subjected to inappropriate behaviour, or done something that cost them dearly.
Also, plenty of people don't drink alcohol or won't be drinking at the party. Everyone's choices and beliefs must be respected.
So, to ensure things stay considerate and decent, we recommend issuing guidelines or a party policy that sets some clear boundaries and specifies the company's expectations.
It doesn't have to be a stock-standard, dry document. You can lighten the tone with the wording - staff will be much more likely to actually read and understand it. You could insert some clauses like:
- It might surprise you but that 24-year-old in marketing doesn’t actually want a kiss from a sweaty 45-year-old.
- No matter how much you feel the need to say it, that person in sales doesn't want to hear how hot you think they are.
- Even if you're really in the zone on the dance floor, please keep all items of clothing on.
But there is a balance to be struck here. Everyone needs to know that misconduct, sexual harassment, or bullying won't be tolerated and no amount of blaming how many drinks someone had will excuse it.
To be clear about what the business expects, issue the party policy at a meeting with staff before the event, so you can speak to people like adults, answer any questions, and enlist the support of everybody to ensure it goes well and everyone has fun.
Once you have created a policy, be sure to keep it up-to-date each year and remind your team to read it before the event.
Don't forget: emergency contacts
Make sure you have every employee's emergency contact details and that they are current, just in case the unexpected happens.
From a privacy perspective, employers have a responsibility to ensure employee's information is up-to-date and accurate before they use it.
This could be a good opportunity to remind people how you store their emergency contact details, and that they need to ensure what is kept on file is correct. So if the emergency contact is a flatmate they no longer live with, those details need to be updated.
Dealing with any issues
Work events, parties, and functions are an extension of the workplace, meaning all the standard rules about appropriate behaviour continue to apply.
If an employee at the Xmas party behaves in a way that's not in line with the organisation's expectations or breaches company policy, you can manage this as you normally would, with tools like a record of discussion, a performance improvement plan, or disciplinary action, as necessary.
If you receive a complaint about an employee's behaviour at the event, you need to investigate promptly.
When the event finishes, we recommend setting clear expectations with employees that going out with their colleagues afterwards is non-work time and they are responsible for their transport, looking out for each other etc.
If it comes to light that something happened, or was alleged to have happened, after the work event finishes, you should look into it (as the primary driver in the relationship between your employees is that they all work for the organisation, so it falls under your jurisdiction).
If you need any help creating robust company policies or managing employee issues, don't hesitate to contact MyHR.
