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I came across a piece that explained some things to be wary of as an employer but is also useful if you drive a car on business even though you may be self employed or use your own car but are paid a car allowance or mileage.

The Christmas work party season will soon be with us! It is therefore worthwhile taking the following into account. If you as an employer are putting on a Christmas party, whether on your premises or at an outside location then you have responsibilities under employment and health and safety laws.

And as an employee you need to be aware of your responsibilities should you be attending a works party.

The company should have the relevant policies in place and staff handbooks should be up to date with the issues below covered. This helps to avoid any misunderstandings in the future as employees will be aware of the company expectations.

Alcohol and Drugs

If the employees have to drive a vehicle, they cannot be over the legal limit, including the following morning. As an employer, you are liable for their actions when they are acting in the course of their employment so be mindful of employees who could potentially be over the limit the next morning.

If a majority of employees are likely to consume alcohol, it would be wise to arrange transport.

Remember some people want a soft drink rather than alcohol and for some it’s a necessity on religious grounds or due to the fact they are the designated driver.

Watch for drugs use.  It is an offence to knowingly permit (or ignore) the use/supply of drugs.

Whilst it may be an office Christmas party, on or off company premises, it is still deemed as a working environment. Employees telling one another how they really feel about one another in ‘banter’ or playing pranks could be misconstrued.

Any grievance, should be dealt with. This extends to the world of social media, any confession or inappropriate posts will still have to be dealt with accordingly.

Any failures of employees to attend work the next day is a disciplinary offence and should be made clear to those attending. This should be applied to all employees to ensure no discrimination claims arise. If a manager doesn’t turn up with no action but a subordinate staff member is disciplined – it could end up in a tribunal.

It is a good idea to designate certain people in management/supervisory roles to oversee the level of behaviour at parties and make sure that things don’t get out of hand.  Remember that your involvement in putting on the party can lead to claims for discrimination, harassment, assault which the company could be liable for.

Some religions or faiths don’t recognise Christmas since it is a Christian holiday.  Make it clear that attendance at a party is entirely voluntary. Whilst it’s important that everyone enjoys themselves – it’s a Christmas party after all, you don’t want to find yourselef out of a job the following day or week for telling your boss or an employee what you think of them. By Graham Hill