Managing Office Party Shenanigans
As the Director of Fun for your office party planning committee, you’ve been planning the year-end holiday party for weeks. The night has come! The party begins with merriment, but then comes midnight. By then, Sheila snuck too many drink tickets and stumbled into the DJ. Lee flirted with the CEO’s wife. And Robert danced right into his boss and screamed in surprise.
Office parties can make for quite the company hangover. You can take steps, both ahead of time and in the moment, to quash potential lawsuits and prepare for a good time. Let’s troubleshoot this specific scenario, looking at Sheila, Lee, and Robert.
Sheila and Alcohol
First, let’s deal with Sheila. Overdrinking is common at office parties, so it’s important to monitor and moderate the flow of alcohol. Consider using a professional, licensed catering service with pros capable of managing alcohol-related situations. You could also have the event at a third-party, fully insured venue.
You can put safeguards in place to keep employees from overdrinking, such as issuing drink tickets, having a variety of nonalcoholic options, serving heavy foods so employees aren’t drinking on an empty stomach, and arranging safe transportation. Make it clear that you expect the same professional behavior they’d show at work.
So what should a manager do with Sheila, who has already drunk too much? First, handle the situation immediately to ensure everyone is safe. If the DJ got injured when Sheila stumbled into him, contact your Workers Comp Specialist in the Risk Department at Nextep to inform them of the situation. Since the DJ is a third party and not an employee of your company, they would file a workers’ compensation claim under his/her own policy or his employer’s policy. The DJ could also potentially file a personal injury liability claim dependent on circumstances and jurisdiction rules and laws. Though your open workers’ compensation policy may not be affected, contact your Workers Comp Specialist in the Risk Department at Nextep during regular business hours to inform them of the situation and for guidance.
Take Sheila aside privately and talk to her about her behavior and concerns for her wellbeing. Arrange a safe ride home with a ride-sharing service, taxi, or sober coworker.
After the party, schedule a meeting with Sheila to talk through the incident. Depending on the severity of her behavior, your discussion may be as simple as an informal conversation or, in severe cases, termination. Call your HR Business Partner at Nextep ahead of time to discuss your next steps.
Lee and Unwanted Flirting
Unwanted flirting with anyone at an office party is a bad idea, but Lee didn’t do himself any favors when he chose the CEO’s wife for his attention.
As with drinking, remind employees beforehand of the company’s anti-harassment policy and code of conduct. Even if harassment occurs off-premises or off the clock, it’s still a company party, and you should still use the usual harassment protocols to deal with the situation.
As with Sheila, the company’s leadership should take immediate action at the party, discreetly ending inappropriate behavior and speaking privately with both parties. Afterward, begin the process of your harassment investigation and resulting disciplinary action. Having a clear anti-harassment policy and action plan in place ahead of time helps set expectations.
For Lee, the outcome will depend on several factors. How severe were his unwanted romantic advances, and how did they impact the recipient? How angry is the CEO? Will it create an unsafe or toxic workplace? Contact your HR Business Partner at Nextep to help you understand the steps and consider your best options.
Robert’s Dancing
Poor Robert. Unless it’s inappropriate, HR doesn’t govern bad dance moves.
If he injured his boss, you should contact your Workers’ Comp specialist in the Risk Department at Nextep to get proper care and handle the workers’ compensation process. Assuming he wasn’t drunk or didn’t have ill intent, Robert probably just needs a pat on the back and a couple of minutes to get over his embarrassment.
You may have noticed a trend in these situations: call your HR Business Partner at Nextep for guidance. Each event is nuanced and could go a number of different ways, depending on the factors.
Cheers to a safe, appropriate, and fun party!
