Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley and Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator Megan Lockhart talk about holiday party risk mitigation.

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Director/Host/Producer: Alyssa Burley

Guest: Megan Lockhart

Editor: Lauren Stumpf

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “News Room News” by Spence

Transcript

[Introduction Music]

Alyssa Burley: Hi, this is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa’s Media Communications and Client Services Department. Thank you for listening to today’s top Rancho Mesa news brought to you by our Safety and Risk Management Network, StudioOne™.

Welcome back everyone. Today, my guest is Megan Lockhart, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator with Rancho Mesa. Today, we’re going to talk about holiday party risk mitigation. Megan, welcome to the show.

Megan Lockhart: Hi, Alyssa. Thanks for having me in StudioOne™.

AB: It’s now November and many organizations are planning holiday parties for their staff, partners and even customers. Some may be in-person and others might be virtual. So, before the parties take place, we thought it would be a good idea to talk about some things organizations can do to mitigate risks that might arise.

So, Megan, when an employer is hosting a holiday party, can they require employees to participate?

ML: That’s a really good question and the answer is no. Employers shouldn’t make holiday parties, events, gatherings, virtual events, anything like that mandatory. They should clearly communicate that any participation in holiday events is completely optional and, make sure that management doesn’t even imply that not participating would be viewed negatively by the company or cause any negative consequences for the employee.

AB: Since employees may not celebrate a specific holiday, employers can’t expect all employees to participate. Can employers combine their holiday party with another event like an annual update or awards ceremony?

ML: Yeah so again, since not all employees celebrate the same holidays, these events shouldn’t include any work-related activities. We actually recommend that organizations hold their holiday parties off-site and not during business hours and even invite employees to bring a guest to reduce the likelihood of work-related activities happening.

AB: Those are great suggestions, Megan. When we think of employee holiday parties, the range of expectations can vary greatly based on the company culture. In some instances, alcohol may be served. So, what do you recommend employers do to ensure that employees are aware of the expected behavior at the holiday party?

ML: I think you really need to set the expectation prior to the party, and this has a lot to do with your company culture. You know, if you normally have like a keg in the lunch room and people drink at work, then that’s setting a different expectation of acceptable behavior verses the company that may only serve beer and wine once a year at a holiday party. Also, encourage employees to drink responsibly if alcohol is served and remind them of company policies around harassment and respectful behavior.

AB: Those who know Rancho Mesa’s President Dave Garcia, will have heard this before, but a good rule of thumb when at an event is to not be the story. Employees shouldn’t behave in such a way that people talk about it after the event is over. No one wants to be the story about the party. As a Rancho Mesa employee, we know whether we’re at a Rancho Mesa holiday party or attending an event with a client, we do not want to be the story everyone is talking about afterwards. So, we conduct ourselves in such a way that we won’t embarrass ourselves or the company. So, Megan, what else should employers consider when mitigating risk at their holiday parties?

ML: Some organizations allow employees to bring their families, which would include minors. So, it’s important for companies to have a plan to ensure that minors don’t have access to alcohol at the party. Also, along those same lines, don’t serve alcohol to visibly intoxicated attendees, and this can really be accomplished by hiring professional bar tenders and servers to handle that.

AB: I think hosting a cash-bar would also help mitigate over consumption of alcohol at the party.

ML: Yeah, a cash-bar would definitely reduce the likelihood of a claim that the employer provided alcohol directly to employees and also it reduces consumption.

Employers can also provide a set number of drink tickets so that each attendee is limited in the number of alcoholic drinks they’ll be served. Companies may also consider maybe even providing a ride service like an Uber or Lift at no cost to the employee who have been drinking at the party. Maybe arrange for a group transportation, or encourage employees to designate a driver at the beginning of the event. Management could even call and pay for a cab if an intoxicated employee needs a safe ride home. Really the important thing to remember is that everyone should just get home safe.

AB: Okay, so if employers will be serving alcohol at their holiday parties, they have a lot of things to think about before the party starts. When planning the event, make sure to provide plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages, so everyone will have enough to eat and drink whether or not they plan to consume alcohol.

So, Megan, is there anything else that you think is important to consider?

ML: Yeah, I think one last thing would be to consider the location of the party and if there’s ample space for a safe event. Avoid places that may be potentially provocative or offensive, and with the pandemic still affecting gatherings, ensure there is plenty of space for people to safely distance. Maybe offer both in-door and outdoor spaces and always check with your location’s laws and health department for specific guidelines and requirements for special events in your area.

[Closing Music]

AB: Megan, thank you so much for giving us some tips on how to mitigate risk at our holiday parties. And, thank you for joining me in StudioOne™.

ML: Thanks for having me, Alyssa.

AB: This is Alyssa Burley with Rancho Mesa. Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne™. For more information visit us at ranchomesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.