It’s that time of year again! Whilst the workplace Christmas party should be fun for all involved, Darwin Gray’s employment law solicitors have advised on plenty of parties that have gone wrong over the years. Here they share their top tips for surviving the Christmas party.

Whilst a Christmas party will often be held away from the workplace and outside of normal hours, it’s a well-established principle that a work-related gathering such as a Christmas party will be deemed an “extension of the workplace” for employment law purposes. This means that anything said or done during a Christmas party can potentially be treated as if it was done during the normal course of employment. Throw in a fair bit of alcohol and this can prove a risky environment for employers.

Having dealt with the fall-out from plenty of Christmas parties for clients over the years, here are some top tips for employers from Darwin Gray’s employment law team:

Before the party…

• Make sure to invite everyone. This will include any staff on maternity or paternity leave, sickness absence or any other leave.
• Check the accessibility of the party venue to ensure that it doesn’t cause problems for those with disabilities or accessibility issues.
• Check your policies. Make sure that your conduct policies are up-to-date and that they also expressly cover conduct in work social events outside of normal hours.
• Send a very gentle reminder of the need for good behaviour. We accept that it’s tricky to do this without...

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