COVID rules may have relaxed but your WHS obligations haven’t. As a result, your business Christmas party needs to be COVID safe and must minimise the spread of contagious diseases such as COVID, flu and RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus). So how do you do it?
Let’s start with your WHS obligations.
As an employer, you have a duty of care to keep your staff safe – both physically and mentally. A business Christmas party is considered a work environment so you need to ensure it doesn’t become a super spreader event.
What you need to do
- You, your staff and management team need to be educated on the differences between relaxed isolation rules and every employee’s workplace obligation to keep themselves and each other safe. We can assist you with this training.
- Workers are also required to follow any reasonable health and safety instructions issued by you and your management team. This is another key piece of education for you and your team.
- For most people, this will be the first business Christmas party in 2 years so it’s reasonable to expect many of your staff will want to party hard. That’s why it’s important to start educating your entire team NOW about your expectations for their behaviour at the work Christmas party.
What should your Christmas party behaviour guidelines include?
- Clear instructions to stay home if anyone feels unwell – particularly if they have any COVID, flu, respiratory or cold symptoms.
- An explanation on how the business Christmas party is legally considered an extension of your workplace so the same rules and policies apply for issues such as:
- Substance misuse or drunkenness
- Discrimination
- Bullying
- Harassment
- Bad language
- Inappropriate social media use etc.
- Clarification that breaching any behaviour requirements or policies will not be tolerated and any attendee acting inappropriately will be asked to leave the event.
What else should you do?
- Ensure your management team understands they need to remain sober and vigilant in order to identify workers who are partying too hard, acting inappropriately and/or intoxicated.
- Hold your business Christmas party at an external venue where they are trained in the responsible service of alcohol.
- Always ensure food is provided and the length of your Christmas party is capped. This will assist with moderating alcohol consumption.
- Have a plan in place to get everyone home safely – even if it means providing cab charge vouchers, hiring a bus etc.
- Remember that as a leader of your organisation, you need to follow your own rules too!
Balancing fun with responsibility
No-one wants to be the Christmas Grinch but with so much pent up emotion, this year could see your business in all sorts of workplace trouble if your Christmas party gets out of control. That’s where we can help.
As externals, we often have a calming effect on teams and we’re able to train your staff on the mandatory behaviours they are expected to follow at any business function. We can also review your workplace policies and procedures to ensure they are up-to-date and appropriate for your business.
So don’t wait until Santa has landed on your chimney to get your Christmas party WHS protocols in place. Instead, contact End2end Business Solutions today by calling 02 8977 4002.