There’s glitter on the floor after the party
Girls carryin’ their shoes down in the lobby
Candle wax and Polaroids on the hardwood floor
You and me from the night before
-Taylor Swift, “New Year’s Day”
Glitter should be the only mess a company needs to clean up after a holiday party.
Holiday party season is a festive time to celebrate the year’s success and build employee goodwill. Unfortunately, we have all heard a company party horror story or two. HR managers want employees leaving work functions feeling safe, valued, and happy – without a need to clean up policy violations the next morning.
Here are 7 tips for companies to implement before the party starts to keep it sparkling clean:
- Contact your insurance agent well before the date of the party. Your agent can help you determine whether the party—whether onsite or offsite—is adequately covered by your existing policies (such as general commercial liability and employment practices liability policies) or whether additional policies or riders should be purchased to protect the company.
- Make your holiday parties, particularly if they are after-hours events, completely voluntary. Mandatory holiday party attendance can trigger an obligation to pay non-exempt employees for party attendance, can create stress and anxiety for employees who are not feeling particularly festive for any number of reasons, and can trigger additional liability obligations if something goes wrong at the party.
- Consider hosting events at an offsite venue to avoid premises liability claims.
- Remind employees in writing, well in advance of the event, that they must use good judgment at the party and that all company policies apply at company parties, including anti-harassment and discrimination policies and the company dress code. Remind employees that failing to adhere to applicable policies may result in discipline, up to and including termination of employment.
- If alcohol will be served:
- Use drink tickets to avoid over-serving employees;
- Make ride service (like a taxi or Uber) available to employees to ensure they get home safely;
- Use a reputable catering company with properly trained alcohol servers. Carefully review the catering contract to determine who is responsible for over-serving liability before you sign. Request a copy of the caterer’s liquor license and insurance policy or rider for the event. Review the caterer’s insurance with your own agent before you sign the contract.
- Serve plenty of food and have water and non-alcoholic drink options readily accessible.
- Avoid activities that might encourage inappropriate or irresponsible behavior. Nothing good comes from a dance floor at a work function…or a Polaroid camera, for that matter.
- Consider the timing of your holiday party. If your company had to engage in significant pay cuts at year-end, it may not be a good time to host an expensive party.
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About the Author
Christy K. McDonald is a labor and employment attorney in the Grand Rapids office. She can be reached at CMcdonald@dickinsonwright.com and her firm bio is available here.