Difficult Conversations: Serious Conversations During The Silly Season

The holidays bring about a lot of joy and cheer—but on the flip side, can easily bring about headaches and negative interactions as well.

In the latest instalment of our Difficult Conversations series, we’ll be talking about silly season and how this yearly occurrence brings about its own share of difficult conversations.

We recently saw a news article about an Aussie business that came under fire after asking to dock staff’s pay to fund the work Christmas party. While there’s plenty of debate around whether or not this is a gaffe or an acceptable move, this made us think about how we’re coming into the silly season and how there’s difficult conversations around events that happen during this time of year.

Silly Season in the Workplace

The holidays bring about a lot of joy and cheer—but on the flip side, can easily bring about headaches and negative interactions as well. Inappropriate workplace behaviour can rear its ugly head in holiday functions in the workplace.

Festive gatherings and year-end parties, for example, can create opportunities for inappropriate behaviour. The relaxed atmosphere, that oftentimes comes with alcohol consumption, can lead to actions or comments that aren’t acceptable in professional settings. Recognising and addressing these risks is vital so employers can create safe and inclusive environments for their team (regardless of whether these events happen on office grounds or not).

Why should employers care about silly season events?

As an employer putting on a function in the workplace or for your team, you’re responsible for your team members’s safety and wellbeing if they attend any holiday parties or events. An employer has a positive duty to provide a safe environment for their team, and this invariably includes parties held by the business.

Prevention is better than a cure, as the cliche goes. It’s a cliche for a reason—from our experience, it’s way less of a headache to ensure that risks around rowdy and inappropriate behaviour are mitigated. The alternatives can range from disciplinary action for an employee, to physical injury and charges being brought against an employer.

Here are the different kinds of difficult conversations you should prepare yourself to hold before a silly season party even takes place at your workplace.

Talk about appropriate behaviour

One of the most important things you should do in the lead-up to a holiday event is to make it clear what appropriate vs inappropriate behaviour is.

• Alcohol. Most parties and events serve alcohol, and silly season parties are no exception. Moderate alcohol consumption can contribute to a festive atmosphere, but also remember that alcohol can impair judgement and lead to risky behaviours. Be sure to remind employees that overconsumption of alcohol isn’t an excuse for inappropriate behaviour.Real-life case: During a work Christmas party, an employee told his boss to “F— off.” He also engaged in sexually inappropriate behaviour with several female co-workers. The employee was dismissed as a result of his actions at this party, which prompted him to lodge an unfair dismissal claim with the Fair Work Commission (FWC). The FWC found that the team, including this employee, was served unlimited alcoholic drinks that the employer paid for at this party. The FWC also found that the employee had a near-perfect employment record, and concluded that the dismissal was unfair because his actions were exacerbated by the unlimited alcoholic drinks. This, coupled by the fact that there was no managerial supervision for alcohol intake during the party, led to the Commission ruling that the employee was unfairly dismissed by the business. (Keenan v Leighton Boral Amey NSW Pty Ltd)
• Harassment and discrimination. As shown in the case above, instances of sexual harassment can occur at holiday parties. Inappropriate behaviour that constitutes harassment and discrimination vary from inappropriate comments (sexual or otherwise) to misconduct. It’s also a good idea to remind team members to review your employee handbook’s section on harassment and discrimination.

Talk about your venue

Not all events are created the same. Some workplace parties occur inside the office premises themselves, while some opt to hold parties in different venues. The latter adds to the feeling of festivity, but the relaxed venue (compared to the usual workplace) can lead to your team members forgetting about acceptable workplace behaviour.

Before holding a year-end party, you (or management) should discuss the pros and cons of the venues you’re considering for the event. Is the venue one that’s easily accessible to your team, and is it in appropriate one for a workplace gathering? Set appropriate start and finish times for the function as well.

Talk about having a point of contact or person in charge

Consider appointing a responsible person to monitor the event, and to be a POC in the event of anything going wrong (Worksafe QLD). This person should be familiar with workplace safety policies and have the authority to act on any issues that arise.

The appointed person should also be familiar with company policy for dealing with any untoward incidents. This isn’t a responsibility to be taken lightly, and should be discussed among management to ensure everyone is aligned with applicable policies and responses.

Make a list, and check it twice!

Employers and employees alike need to have a checklist when it comes to workplace event:

• Employers
  • Employers need to ensure there are up-to-date organisational-wide policies around appropriate behaviour during workplace-related events. This can include the Drug and Alcohol Policy, Social Media Policy, and the Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Policy.
  • Provide the responsible service of alcohol and ensure non-alcoholic beverage options are available as well.
  • Provide options for team members to get home after the festivities.
• Employees
  • Treat end-of-year functions like any other day at work and behave accordingly.
  • Review workplace policies, and understand that being intoxicated isn’t an excuse for inappropriate actions or comments.
  • When sharing or posting content around any parties in the workplace, ensure it’s all appropriate for posting (refer to the company’s Social Media policy for this as well).

Celebrate safely during silly season!

Silly season brings about plenty of celebrations in the workplace and they’re a fantastic way to boost morale and show your team that their contributions throughout the year are appreciated. Just remember that there are some difficult conversations to be had around celebrating responsibly and safely during these functions. There are also practical considerations around compliance like having policies in place that are essential for business owners and employers. Need help with any of the policies mentioned above? Contact our team to see how we can help.