The Christmas Party

Christmas party time is upon us and, while I hate to be a killjoy or sound too scrooge-like; I would like to offer a bit of cautionary advice to employers and employees alike.

It is true that the majority of people look forward to enjoying themselves at this time of year. It is also true that after the Christmas party the vast majority of people have enjoyed themselves.

Unfortunately, history tells us that some people wake up with a problem. The nature of the problems vary a bit but the root cause is almost inevitably alcohol.

It usually goes a bit like this. The evening or lunch ‘do’ starts off pretty well, everybody is well-behaved and in good spirits. Time goes by and for some people the link between brain, mouth and behaviour gets too relaxed. Things that social conventions stop people saying or doing when sober are said and done. People get upset and sometimes hurt. Proper working relationships between colleagues can be destroyed in an instant and the repercussions can be serious.

Employees attending Christmas parties need to know that if they behave stupidly they are likely to face disciplinary action when the dust has settled. The fact that you told your supervisor exactly what you thought of him out of working hours will not protect you from disciplinary action which can often include dismissal. “I was a bit drunk and I’m sorry” will be no defence at all.

If you are the sort of person who has no “stop button” when it comes to drinking and have in the past behaved badly when under the influence, my advice is don’t drink at the Christmas party because it could be the most expensive party you ever attend. Paying for Christmas in January with no pay coming in can be quite tricky.

Employers need to understand that they can be liable for the action of their employees at Christmas parties. This can sometimes include informal parties. This means that organising what you know could be an “explosive” event is a mistake.

To end on some practical advice, it is probably true to say that lawyers get less work out of Christmas parties where partners attend. I can’t imagine why!

Published 11/12/2007. The author of this article is Jon Loney