Welcome to the second in our “12 tips to Christmas!” This is a mini survival guide which both business owners and employees may find useful to get them through the festive season without too much trouble!
Tip 2 – The Invite!
So, the decorations are up, and attention is now on the office Christmas party! The Christmas work party can be a great boost for morale but can give rise to potential risks, which we will highlight over the coming days. In today’s tip, we are focusing on the invite and the timing of the event!
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, how could an employer’s planning of a Christmas party give rise to complaints or potential discrimination claims? Well, don’t be surprised to hear that many employers can forget to invite those employees who are not in the office…. a case of out of sight and out of mind which could give rise to potential discrimination claims, for example, if an employee on maternity leave was not invited. So, it sounds obvious but check that everyone is invited and make it an inclusive event.
Although the invites should extend to everyone and be inclusive, employers should also not insist that everyone must attend! It is important to bear in mind that not all employees will want to attend for a variety of reasons such as religious reasons. Christmas is a Christian festival, so employers should be careful not to pressure employees of non-Christian faiths into attending the Christmas party if this would make them feel uncomfortable.
Also, employers should consider the timing of the Christmas event as some employees may have family responsibilities that prevent them from attending an evening party.
These are just a few of the issues that an employer should think about when planning the Christmas party and sending out the invites. Visit our website www.talemlaw.co.uk tomorrow for tip 3!