Well it’s that time of year again and a lot of our clients have been asking us how they should manage their staff Christmas function.  We have probably all been to a work function where someone drinks too much and starts acting inappropriately.  The key to trying to avoid inappropriate behaviour (in the first place) and managing incident(s) if they occur is to communicate effectively with attendees before the function, in order that they clearly understand the expectations.  It’s also important to get the balance right and to try and avoid your communication being ‘over bearing’ or ‘grinch – like’.  Ultimately, you want staff to have fun without going overboard but they also need to understand that it is a work function.

Here is an email template that we provide to our clients, we hope you find it useful and enjoy the festive season.

Cheers,

The Human Outsource Team!

Good Afternoon,

If you’re new to [insert company name] welcome and we hope you enjoy our end of year function, if you’ve been to a [insert company name] end-of-year function or two, then here is a timely reminder of the details and expectations for the evening.

  • the End-of-Year function will be held at [insert venue].
  • It starts at [insert time]pm and finishes at [insert time]pm.
  • Responsible consumption of alcohol is your responsibility and attendees who are deemed to be intoxicated and/or obnoxious will be asked to leave the function.
  • Bad behaviour and misconduct during the function will be met with the appropriate disciplinary process as it is a work-related activity.
  • [insert company name] is not associated with any after-parties or gatherings when our function concludes at [insert end time]pm and as such, is not responsible or liable for your behaviour and/or actions after that time.

I guess you could say that overall, we’re generally a sensible bunch and capable of enjoying a good party without any problems, but we ask that you take appropriate personal responsibility around your behaviour during the function. So without wishing to be total killjoys, we’d just ask that we remember to respect each other and our surroundings whilst we’re celebrating the end of a fantastic year.

Beer, wine, water and soft drinks will be available, please consume responsibly.

As stated, the party will wrap up at [insert time]pm and after that time, you are on your own!  [insert company name] takes no responsibility for what happens to you after the function has concluded.

Cab-charges will be available for those of you who need them to get safely from the venue to your home.  You can collect these from [insert name] between now and [day of function].  If you are driving, remember that the legal blood-alcohol driving limit is 0.05 and it is your responsibility to ensure you can drive home safely. If you are in doubt, do not drive; get a cab, an Uber or public transport. 

The last thing we want to do leading into Christmas is to go through complaints and disciplinary procedures – because let’s face it, we are all adults and should be able to behave appropriately. Once again, this email doesn’t mean not having fun, it just means remember that you are at a work function.

Have fun, let your hair down and enjoy yourselves, but do so responsibly.

Kind Regards,

[insert Manager’s name]