We are approaching that time of year where employers start to share details about their holiday parties. While bringing everyone together, especially after the ups and downs of the past two and a half years is important, it’s more important that you do it right.
Alcohol
We’ve been asked about serving alcohol at an event if a company has an “alcohol and drug free workplace” policy. You can certainly make exception for a company sponsored event, however we recommend updating your policy if you plan to serve alcohol. Reach out to your consulting team for assistance.
Employers should consider a practice to limit alcohol intake during the event. You could host a cocktail hour at the start of the event or provide drink tickets to each employee. Once the hosted part of the evening is complete, employees either purchase their own beverages or are no longer served alcohol.
Company standards
Another aspect to remember during these parties is that your employees still need to abide by all company polices. The casual setting of a holiday party may bring out an unprofessional side of employees and behavior can get out of hand. Employees need to remember that even though they are out of the office, they are still at a company event and must behave in a respectful and safe manner.
Attendance
Keep in mind that if you are going to require attendance at a holiday party, you may need to pay non-exempt employees for their time. If attendance is not required, there should be no negative consequence or even statement made to an employee who did not attend. Also remember that some employees may not celebrate the same holidays that you do, or even holidays at all.
Health & safety
While it may seem like COVID-19 has dwindled, it is still out there, and your employees may worry about attending a large in-person event. If you are considering alternatives to an in-person gathering, an option would be giving your employees a gift card so they can share a nice dinner out with a loved one. You could also coordinate a virtual gift card exchange or card exchange then get everyone together virtually to share in the excitement of opening their gift.
Conclusion
While holiday parties are meant to be cheerful and happy, it is important that you remember the crucial points covered here. Reach out to your consulting team for guidance on how to host your party while still respecting your employees.