The holiday season is upon us! At this time of year, many employers are preparing to host workplace holiday events. While most workplace holiday events take place without incident, these events can unfortunately expose legal risks and potential liabilities for employers. Here are a few tips and reminders to help employers mitigate these risks and enjoy a safe, happy and liability-free holiday party season:
Planning the Event:
- Host holiday parties off site, at non-work locations, where possible.
- When selecting a location, consider accessibility for all guests. Consider locations which are close to public transit and accessible to many safe transportation options.
- Consider hosting an alcohol-free event. If alcohol will be available, consider using professionally staffed bar services with servers who have been trained to monitor signs of intoxication. Avoid the use of an open or unsupervised bar.
- Limit alcohol consumption through other means such as a limited number of drink tickets per guest and provide plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverage options suitable for various dietary needs and restrictions.
Before the Event:
- Remind employees of their personal responsibility not to drive after consuming alcohol or cannabis. To help encourage employees to make plans for a safe ride to and from the event, provide taxi vouchers, or otherwise communicate that the employer will reimburse travel costs for a safe ride home.
- Remind employees that workplace policies and expectations, like those regarding bullying and harassment, respectful workplaces, and discrimination, continue to apply to all work-sanctioned events, including holiday parties. Consider reviewing these policies with all staff prior to the event.
- Even though employees might be looking forward to the event, those employees experiencing cold and flu symptoms should be encouraged to stay home.
- Ensure you have the appropriate liability insurance for your event.
During the Event:
- Put safeguards in place on the night of your event to identify and support employees who may need assistance getting home safely. This includes being in communication with the bartenders and monitoring employees. An appointed person to take on this responsibility is a great way to ensure this responsibility is fulfilled.
- Most importantly, lead by example. Drink responsibly, eat, hydrate, and get home safe.
Happy Holidays from the team at Harris & Company LLP.
