With just under a month to go until Christmas and several weeks left at work to power through, many employers will be turning their attention towards the Christmas party!

The office Christmas party should provide staff with the chance to let their hair down with colleagues and build strong working relationships, and most companies want to reward their staff for their hard work and dedication during the year. However, a festive combination of high spirits and unlimited alcohol can often result in a headache for those employers (or their HR managers) who are tasked with successfully navigating the minefield of workplace Christmas parties.

No-one wants to be a party pooper after all, but if you are an employer or member of your workplace’s HR department, it pays to be prepared for the festive season. Some key areas to be aware of when you start to plan your approach to the Christmas party include:

Behaviour

Some employers shy away at the thought of reiterating company codes of conduct in relation to social events, but you shouldn’t be afraid of setting out clear behaviour guidelines as to what is acceptable on the night itself. Taking the time to remind staff that the Christmas party still constitutes a work-related event and that, as such, the company will therefore be held responsible for any disruptive actions, can help to set the tone of expectations from the start.

It should be made clear that any breach of your usual standards of conduct could result in an employee facing formal disciplinary procedures, or further action depending on the nature of their behaviour.

Alcohol

Most firms are eager to repay hardworking employees with a generous or even free bar allowance at the Christmas party, but with free alcohol being named as a pivotal factor in tribunal cases brought against companies by their employees, it would be wise to exercise a note of caution.

If you are keen to provide a free bar, ensure that you also provide a range of soft drinks that all employees can access, and try to roughly monitor the level of alcohol consumption as the night draws on. Issuing free drinks tokens, with a set number available to each attendee, can also help you to try to keep alcohol consumption under control.

Social media

The growing prevalence of social media means that inappropriate use can be a business issue at any time, but work-related social gatherings can require stricter guidance. Successful management, as with behaviour, comes down to issuing clear guidelines to all staff – if you would rather they didn’t upload photos and videos from the evening to social media, you must explain why, and the potential impact that negative or offensive content could have on the wider business.

Another option that you could consider could be to ask that all employees’ use a specific hashtag when uploading images and footage – that way, you can sense-check what content is being shared, and politely ask that people remove anything that isn’t appropriate. Christmas party season can act as a good time to remind people of your business’s social media policy, or to consider drawing one up if you do not already have guidelines in place.

Entertainment

If you have decided to hold your event externally, or you have bought tickets for a themed Christmas party that accommodates other companies, consider the type of entertainment that will be provided on the night. Is the running order of the evening suitable for all staff? Is there something included that everyone will enjoy in some capacity?

For example, a casino-themed evening is likely to have a heavy reliance on gambling for entertainment – great if your employees are up for roulette and blackjack, but it could be seen as isolating for anyone whose religion bans the practice, or even for those who may have family members negatively affected by gambling.

Consider your audience carefully when weighing up entertainment options for your Christmas party!

Absence management

This topic rears its head every year, but absences do tend to spike during the Christmas period for many businesses. To try and avoid any unnecessary absences, some companies opt to hold their Christmas party on a Friday – often at extra cost to the business, but this can pay for itself in terms of allowing employees’ two days in which to ‘recover’ before their attendance in the office is again required.

If your party does happen to fall on a weekday, you must make all staff aware of what is expected from them the following day – could you consider a later start in the morning, or perhaps an earlier finish time? Could you consider staggering working hours across teams? Ultimately, if you lay out exactly what you expect from people regarding the following working day, you are far more likely to avoid late night and alcohol-related absences.

Top six tips to ensure a successful Christmas party:

• provide clear guidance on the standard of behaviour expected – ensure that staff understand that the Christmas party is still a professional event
• send reminders advising people to make arrangements for travelling home – could you pre-book taxis from the venue for staff?
• ensure that a range of refreshments, including soft drinks, are provided in order to cater to everyone.
• reiterate guidelines around social media – make staff aware of what they can and cannot post.
• consider inclusivity and discrimination when planning entertainment for the evening.
• make it clear that attendance is not compulsory – respect that people may have religious beliefs or prior plans that mean they cannot commit to attending.

For any advice please email nicola.goodridge@goodhr.co.uk or call +44 7917 878384

The Bullying and Respect at Work Bill proposes legislation that would introduce a statutory definition of bullying, to enable claims related to workplace bullying to be considered at an employment tribunal.

It would also bring in a new respect-at-work code which will set minimum standards for respectful work environments.

Formal mechanisms for reporting and investigating bullying at work would be introduced and the Equality and Human Rights Commission would be given powers to investigate claims of bullying cultures and to take enforcement action if appropriate.

What is bullying?

“Bullying” is defined by ACAS as “offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means that undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the person being bullied”.

The key is that the actions or comments are viewed as demeaning and unacceptable to the recipient.

How may bullying take place?

Bullying in the workplace could be in person, or online, and can include the following:

• name calling – whether you are receiving abusive messages on an internal system or being called out in the office, having someone call you names is unpleasant and demoralising.
• ignoring, isolating or excluding – deliberately ignoring someone, or excluding them from relevant meetings, are ways of intentionally making someone feel isolated.
• belittling – equally, if someone contributes only to be made fun of or have their opinions discounted as bad or false, it can be considered bullying. This kind of undue criticism is unnecessary, as any good manager should be able to provide feedback in a constructive way.
• scapegoating – someone might think it gets them off the hook, but blaming others for mistakes is a sign of something much worse – that you are willing to bully.
• manipulation of roles – making threats about job security or purposefully blocking someone’s progress at work, by removing their responsibilities without good reason, is a misuse of power.
• setting you up to fail – being set unachievable tasks or targets, designed to see an individual fail, is an example of workplace bullying.
• spreading rumours – this kind of playground behaviour can have a huge impact on the general well-being of the victim.
• giving meaningless tasks – everyone has to take their turn to make a round of hot drinks, but if you keep getting set all the worst jobs, it could be a sign of bullying.
• aggressive behaviour – any form of aggressive behaviour, such as shouting or intrusion of personal space, is unacceptable. Employees shouldn’t feel scared in the workplace, even if they have made a mistake.

How common is bullying in the workplace?

• almost six in 10 people have witnessed or suffered bullying in the workplace
• 37% have been bullied themselves
• out of 2,000 people, most people had witnessed bullying but only 48% did anything about it
• 68% said the behaviour was ‘subtle’, such as leaving colleagues out
• one in 20 said they had witnessed physical violence between workmates
• shouting, shoving, intimidation and threatening behaviour were all reported

How to ensure your workplace is enjoyable?

There is much more to workplace satisfaction than a good salary. The following factors can be influential in whether people like coming to work or not:

• a reasonable attitude to working hours. Most people understand overtime will be a necessity from time to time, but if a company applies so much pressure on their employees that they feel they must regularly put in long hours to keep up, it will not foster a happy workforce.
• supportive colleagues. You can end up seeing your colleagues more often than some friends and family; it’s essential you get along with those you work alongside. A hostile work environment with backstabbing and finger-pointing is a stressful place to be. Instead, you want to be surrounded by those who share your goals and are willing to work together to achieve them and share in the success.
• transparent communication. Openness is key when it comes to communication in the workplace. Employees should feel like there are ways for them to express themselves comfortably and should know their opinions are valued. Equally, when companies are transparent with their employees, job satisfaction tends to improve.
• focus on training and development. Organisations that provide clear roadmaps of how an individual can progress and develop will sustain fulfilment levels. Everyone likes to know there is room for them to grow, as well as feeling their employer believes in them and provides the necessary tools for progression.
• recognition for hard work. No one will deny they enjoy being recognised for their good work. Whether it is in the form of rewards or simple compliments, getting this feedback spurs you on. If employers don’t recognise hard work, then over time people will lose all incentive to go the extra mile.

At work, by taking some thoughtful actions, you can make a huge difference to the daily lives of your colleagues.

What are the solutions?

Apart from doing your best to ensure that your workplace is in line with the suggestions above for an enjoyable and inclusive workplace, if bullying behaviour does arise then the following should be suggested to your affected employee after they have reported it to you:

• keep a written record or diary of all bullying incidents, including past incidents – no matter how small they appear;
• see if they can speak to the bully or harasser: they may not have realised how distressing their actions are;
• speak to their line manager or the HR person within your organisation – they will be best placed to advise you on next steps.

In summary

Having a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying ensures that employees feel safe and have the confidence to be happy and work productively in their jobs. It also shows that all managers/supervisors/employees are on the same level and regardless of their position it will not be tolerated. Simply stating that your organisation has a zero-tolerance to bullying is not enough – everyone, from the top to the bottom of the organisation, needs to walk that talk.

For any advice email nicola.goodridge@goodhr.co.uk or call +44 7917 878384

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