'Twas the party for Christmas and all through the night, HR was panicking.... please all behave right'. 

Love 'em or loathe 'em, work Christmas parties provide a good opportunity for many to relax, kick back, forget the bad stuff and celebrate the good. And, for the first time in three years, they are back in the diary. Lest we get all misty eyed about the joys of Christmas parties past, the kicking back can be problematic and it's a good time to remind staff about boundaries and the perils of being too relaxed! 

Some festive pointers to ensure it is a season of goodwill:

• Organisations should be mindful of the scale and expense of Christmas parties; it is a good opportunity to thank staff for their work with some free food and even alcohol (not too much!). But be mindful that some staff will find lavish events wasteful and perhaps insulting if there has been a tightening of budgets throughout the year and less generous pay rises.   

• Following on from that, keep them simple. Staff may find the instructions to 'dress to impress', 'Christmas jumpers must be worn' to be stressful at a time when they are cutting down on expenditure. Dress as you feel comfortable and have a good time is a simple and inclusive message. 

• It may be predictable but a communication to all staff, whether that be email, announcement, message, etc. about the behaviour expected at any event is a must. It doesn't have to be too reminiscent of school, something along the lines of:

    ○ we want you to have a good time 

    ○ in having a good time please don't stop those around you from having a good time 

    ○ what you say to colleagues, how you act towards them is the same whether you are partying or working - it is a work event and so dignity at work/anti bullying/equality and diversity policies still apply 

    ○ anyone breaching those policies in whatever way may be disciplined 

• Should there be any complaints from staff of their colleagues' actions, be mindful to respond to and investigate them as per internal procedures. 

• Monitor absences. If the Christmas party is followed by a working day for some of your staff, you may see an increase in absence levels. Some may have already booked annual leave (in accordance with leave policies) but others may not have sufficient leave accrued at this time and/or may have been seen the night before quite merry shall we say! 

• Don't forget to address the social media angle. Whilst misconduct at Christmas parties may be as old as the hills, the social media aspect is not. Communicate a simple message of: 

    ○ think before you post - do you want these pictures/footage creating a permanent record? 

    ○ check before you post - are those around you happy to be in the post? 

    ○ stay employed after you post - do not post anything which causes you either to fall the wrong side of the disciplinary/social media policy or could cause damage to your employer 

If you would like any further detail or explanation on these pointers please do contact me.