With the Thanksgiving weekend behind us, attention turns to celebrating with family, friends — and coworkers at the company holiday party.

A majority of organizations are still planning to hold holiday or end-of-year parties; however, a growing number of employers are cutting back, according to a recent survey from the Society for Human Resource Management. The survey found that almost two-thirds (65%) of human resource professionals said their organizations would host a party for all employees. But 30% of respondents said that no party was planned at their organization, an increase of 13 percentage points from 2012.

How and where will those companies celebrate? A majority — 67% — of respondents said their party would be off site, and 22% said they would close early that day. More than half (59%) said alcohol would be served at the party. Of those planning to serve alcohol, 47% indicated they would regulate alcohol consumption at the event, with 71% using drink tickets or having a drinks maximum.

Employers are concerned about possible repercussions from employees drinking too much, for example:

  • Drunk driving and possible motor vehicle accidents.
  • Workers compensation for falls and other injuries.
  • Discrimination claims, including sexual harassment and religious discrimination.
  • Injury to third parties.
  • Premises liability.
  • Underage drinking.

In addition to employer-based liability, many organizations are concerned about their “social host” liability as well. In some states, social host liability is limited to people hosting parties at which minors are served alcohol. In other states, employers may be liable for underage drinking at work functions, and there are still other states in which the law is less clear. The safest action is to develop a policy and guidelines, with advice from your legal counsel and input from the human resources department, then distribute that policy to all employees.

The following are some guidelines from the Society for Human Resource Management for safe company holiday parties.

Let us know your suggestions for holding safe and enjoyable workplace holiday parties in the comment section below.

Editor's note: We've included a sample memo to employees, courtesy of SHRM, that you can adapt for your organization at the end of this article.

1. Have an alcohol policy — and enforce it

Make clear in pre-party communications that minors can't drink and, if they do, they may be terminated. You also should make it clear that anyone who provides alcohol to minors may be terminated as well.

Some companies serve only beer and wine at company functions to limit the effects of stronger liquors. Others take their cues from sporting events and have “last call” an hour before the event is scheduled to end.

2. Hire professional servers

Have someone serve alcohol rather than permitting employees to serve themselves. This gives professional bartenders the opportunity to identify employees who drink too much. The bartenders also should be authorized — and encouraged — to card anyone who looks younger than 25. If you expect many younger workers to attend, consider having wristbands — issued by the HR staff — with one color for employees and guests under 21 and one color for those over 21 to make it easier on servers.

3. Select the location thoughtfully

Hold the party offsite at a location that's easily accessible by public transportation. Consider using safe ride programs, providing car service or a party bus, or rewarding employees who agree to be designated drivers with a gift card for gas.

4. Have plenty of food and nonalcoholic drinks

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Rosalie Donlon

Rosalie Donlon is the editor in chief of ALM's insurance and tax publications, including NU Property & Casualty magazine and NU PropertyCasualty360.com. You can contact her at [email protected].

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