WELCOME TO SUMMER AND THE OFFICIAL START OF THE SILLY SEASON

I thought I’d take this opportunity to share some of my knowledge around how to host a successful Christmas party and minimise the risks to your business and employees.

Christmas Parties – things to think about:

• Health and safety

• Have a clear end time

• Do not endorse after parties and if there is to be one, it is in your best interest for it to be at a different venue to the party you are hosting

• Is your insurance cover adequate?

• Alcohol consumption – if it’s a private party it’s a good idea to have someone with an RSA run the bar or use a wristband type set up limiting the number of drinks each employee can consume.

• Always have non-alcoholic drinks available

• Consider transport arrangements and take care to make sure staff leave the venue safely

• If unfortunately there is an incident from your Christmas party, do you have a plan in place for how to handle it?

• Nominate a responsible person to help handle any unfortunate situations and make sure employees know who it is.

Inappropriate conduct by an employee at a festive function can give rise to multiple risks.

Do you have policies around:

• Bullying

• Discrimination

• Adverse action

It is worth reminding employees of these policies in the lead up to the event.

Hopefully these tips will help you run a fun filled end of year celebration free from incident.

Merry Christmas!