Comment: Beware the perils of the office party

Charlotte Black, head of employment at Travlaw, offers some timely advice as the end-of-year festivities get underway

Another year, another barrage of legal articles referring to office Christmas party violence, fights, sexual harassment, alcohol abuse, rowdy behaviour and, of course, unauthorised absences.

Are you getting sick of reading legal articles saying you can't drink, banter or have any fun at your office Christmas party? Some of the legal updates we've seen in recent times have been dismissed as ‘way over the top' and drafted by ‘killjoys'.

Office Christmas parties can be fun, with staff and management alike letting their hair down.

Do you need a policy?

That is not to say putting together a set of rules should be totally out of the question.

With one in 10 workers knowing of a colleague who has been disciplined for inappropriate behaviour at their Christmas ?bash, it is worth remembering ?that employers are responsible ?for the protection and safety of their employees and their behaviour and activities if reasonably foreseeable.

Employers should remember that if they create an alcohol-fuelled environment, there is a real risk that they could find themselves at the receiving ?end of a very unwelcome Christmas present in the form ?of an employment tribunal if ?they overstep the mark.

Irrespective of your stance on whether Christmas parties are heavily over-regulated, you would be a fool not to consider staff behaviour at your annual party.

When considering your stance, you should take into account the size of your business and number of employees. Think about whether you are a small business with strong employee relationships, or are a larger entity where there is a higher chance that someone is likely to take offence?

How is office banter generally received in the office? Have there been any issues in the past?

Commonsense rules

Once you have considered these factors, you can decide to avoid regulation, or adopt appropriate, sensible, commonsense-based Christmas party rules.

For party attendees, the last thing you want is to be involved in a scandal and to potentially ?be splashed across Facebook. Here, I have compiled my top 10 tips for avoiding disasters.

• Attend: Even if you hate the idea, don't be an Ebenezer Scrooge. Show willing and Christmas spirit.
  
• Avoid a fashion faux-pas: Think stylish and demure.
  
• Make love not war: Fighting is a no-no, and will have you in front of HR faster than you can recite the names of Santa's reindeers.
  
• Don't be too affectionate: ?Declarations of love have a time and place. This isn't it.
  
• Avoid shop talk: But be prepared for small talk.
  
• Avoid the photocopier: It is not compulsory to snap your behind.
  
• Don't dance badly: Do you really want to be a YouTube sensation?
  
• Keep it down: Projectile vomiting does not a cool Yule make.
  
• He's behind you! Careless ?talk costs lives, as they said in war-time Britain.
  
• Stick your elfin' job! Alcohol-fuelled outbursts should be dodged at all costs.

Got some good photos from your office Christmas party? Send them to us and you could win return flights to Munich or a great flight bag! Full details here