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The end-of-year work party is a great way to unwind with colleagues, celebrate the festive season and wrap up a year of hard work.
But these parties can also be notorious for getting out of hand, with staff taking advantage of the free booze and sometimes behaving inappropriately or even getting injured.
And while your employer has an obligation to provide a safe environment, there can still be consequences for an employee’s bad behaviour.
We’ve all heard stories of things going wrong at the office Christmas party, so what are some things we should be aware of as we head into December?
Here are our tips for employers and employees on how to avoid becoming a cautionary tale this festive season.
Under the law, a work party is still considered part of the workplace. So, when you’re starting to let your hair down, sipping a glass of bubbles and watching Kevin from Accounting hit the dancefloor, remember the following:
Just like staff have a responsibility to behave appropriately at a work party, employers have a responsibility to ensure everybody’s safety.
Some steps employers can take to reduce risks at office parties include:
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to hear stories of sexual harassment at work Christmas parties.
Sexual harassment can include unwelcome touching, suggestive comments or jokes, intrusive questions about someone’s private life, or sending sexually explicit text messages.
All workplaces should take sexual harassment allegations seriously, and any allegations made during or after the work party should be handled according to the company’s policy. It’s important to note that it is unlawful for there to be any negative consequences to one’s employment for making a complaint.
It’s also important to note that if someone attempts to play down their behaviour by saying they were ‘just joking’ or ‘had too much to drink’, these are not valid excuses for doing the wrong thing.
Poor behaviour can certainly get you fired, as it did for Mr Vai in Vai v ALDI Stores. In this case, Mr Vai attended his work Christmas party and got too drunk. The bar staff cut him off, but he ignored the manager’s suggestion to leave the party. In his drunken state, he threw a full glass of beer against a wall, narrowly missing his colleagues.
After being dismissed for his conduct, Mr Vai brought an application in the Fair Work Commission alleging that he had been unfairly dismissed. He was unsuccessful, with the Commission determining that ALDI had taken sufficient steps to manage the function appropriately, including limiting the service of alcohol, speaking to the employee and having managers and security at the venue.
In Keenan v Leighton, it was a similar story with a different outcome. Mr Keenan attended his staff Christmas party, where employees could help themselves to unlimited alcohol. He went on to deploy a range of inappropriate behaviours, including verbally abusing a director and senior staff member and repeatedly asking for a female colleague’s phone number.
When the party had officially finished, Mr Keenan and colleagues continued to another bar, where he made sexually harassing comments to several women he worked with.
He was fired for his conduct, and like Mr Vai, he made a claim to the Fair Work Commission that he was dismissed unfairly. This time, the Fair Work determined that it was unfair dismissal for the following reasons:
These two cases demonstrate the importance of having the right measures in place for the responsible serving and consumption of alcohol.
Employers are responsible for the safety of their workers – and this duty extends to all work-related locations like work Christmas parties.
If someone is injured at the staff party or on their way to or from the function, they may be eligible to apply for workers’ compensation.
What you choose to post on your social media accounts when you’re not at work is entirely up to you. But since a work party still counts as being at work, you must abide by your company’s social media policy.
Simply put, it might be okay to post a nice photo of you with some colleagues, but it’s not okay to share anything that could reflect negatively on any colleagues or your workplace. For example, sharing content that shows yourself or colleagues extremely drunk or behaving poorly.
If your social media posts are deemed inappropriate, this could constitute unlawful behaviour and could lead to disciplinary action.
The end-of-year work party should be enjoyed by everyone who attends, and it’s a shame when someone’s poor behaviour can tarnish the night for everyone else.
There can be significant repercussions should something go wrong, which is why it’s important to take any work event seriously. It’s okay to have fun and unwind, but we recommend treating your work end-of-year party just like any other professional event.
With the right planning and setting expectations in advance, everyone can have a good time and return to work on Monday without any worries.
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Our specialist employment lawyers can provide advice and representation on a wide range of workplace legal issues, including investigations, negotiating the terms of employment contracts, recovering bonus payments, sexual harassment and more.
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We have lawyers who specialise in a range of legal claims who travel to Tasmania. If you need a lawyer in Hobart, Launceston or elsewhere in Tasmania, please call us on 1800 675 346.