Managing inappropriate behaviour at work

Oh baubles…

What to do when Christmas party fame turns to shame

Christmas is a time of peace and goodwill to all. However, some take the goodwill a little too far when it comes to the office party. You know the type. They take full advantage of the Christmas spirits. Then the ‘fun’ really starts.

We’ve all got our favourite Christmas party horror stories. Like the time Jack* from Sales attacked the CEO on the dance floor or the year Karen* from Finance was fired but still turned up just to let everyone know she wasn’t happy! *Names have been changed to protect the (not so) innocent.

Now, we don’t want to spoil the fun (well, we do a little bit) but we know that things can – and do - happen at parties. Maybe they don’t even seem particularly serious at the time. But, in the cold light of day…

Think about it. If they repeat themselves at every other social event it could be a problem that starts to impact your culture. As a small business leader, it’s your job to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Here are some common scenarios and how we suggest you deal with them:

One thing led to another

Apparently, half a bottle of house red and being surrounded by 10 of your closest work colleagues is the perfect moment for two people to demonstrate their interest in each other. If both were consenting adults, albeit it’s a bit embarrassing in retrospect, there is probably no need to get involved.

However, what if one person is more senior than the other? Or someone expressed concern that it was inappropriate or unrequited? Maybe one was a repeat offender. Then you might want to look into it.

As cringe-worthy as it is, you might also need to speak to the people involved. Make it clear that although people are entitled to make their own romantic choices, it is important that nobody creates an atmosphere where people may feel uncomfortable.

Let’s take this outside

Let’s not. To be clear, a punch up at a work event is never okay.

It might be a social event but it’s still a work event. Staff are representing the company and any kind of behaviour like this needs investigating. This could result in disciplinary action. You might also want to point out that guilty party could be at risk of having criminal charges brought against them by the other parties involved.

It’s not just them though. As an employer, you might want to think about whether you were responsible because you provided the unlimited free wine. But, at the end of the day your team are adults and are ultimately responsible for their own behaviour.

Crossing a line

Some types of business might turn a blind eye to recreational drug use at parties. However, it’s becoming less and less acceptable, particularly to younger generations joining the workforce. If the drugs are illegal then it’s breaking the law to have them at the party. So, if you become aware of it then an investigation and appropriate action should be taken.

Again, it could cause a culture issue if your team think you are prepared to tolerate this. The longer-term impact of their view of the type of business you are running could be costly.

We hope you don’t have any issues at your Christmas party. If you do, get in touch for a chat about the best way to deal with it - without damaging the Christmas spirit - call 0333 0433239 or email: info@pmp-hr.co.uk

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Working with like-minded businesses, we help you to attract and retain the best people. Our goal is to work with in partnership with you, to create a great place to work whilst ensuring you're compliant with your legal obligations.

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