HR Consulting Advice – Keeping Employees Safe during Christmas Work Celebrations

The Festive Season is here and it is a time when we are in good spirits and looking forward to spending time celebrating with work colleagues, friends and family.

Very often, employers will plan Christmas parties to share the joy of the season. This can be a great way to build employee morale and say “thank you” to your team. However, as the employer, there is a certain degree of risk associated with hosting holiday parties for the workplace.

Here are some expert HR consulting advice and some simple guidelines for keeping employees and property safe during the festive celebrations.

HR Consulting Advice #1 – Have the party off-site

Before you are tempted to cut costs by having a holiday party at the office, consider that by doing this you are much more liable for accidents, injuries, assaults and property damage if you do so. To reduce this liability, work with a local event planner to find a venue that’s offsite and perfect for the type of event you are hosting.

Local restaurants, hotels, community centres and local clubs can be great places to hold a Christmas party. Make sure you confirm that the venue has property and liability insurance.

HR Consulting Advice #2 – Consider the food and beverage choices

A workplace Christmas party would not be complete without delicious food and drinks. To retain the safety of your employees, manage the consumption of alcoholic beverages with a reasonable limit of drinks per employee at a closed bar. Supply plenty of non-alcoholic mocktails and beverage choices.

When deciding on the food, hire a catering company to prepare food according to food safety guidelines. Have a designated driver or taxi cab company ready to take people home who cannot safely do so on their own and supply hotel accommodation for out of town guests.

HR Consulting Advice #3 – Entertainment for the Party

You may choose to hire a musician or disc jockey to supply music and entertainment for the party. Or you may decide on another form of entertainment such as group games, dancing, gift exchanges and other activities.

Your event organiser will be able to offer various options. Make sure you provide safe areas in which to conduct this entertainment and have all lights, exits and fireworks checked by the fire department before the party starts.

If you follow the above simple tips, your holiday party should be a fun and safe time for everyone. Enjoy the celebration of Christmas this season and be safe at all times.