As the end of the year approaches, many companies are making plans for an annual holiday celebration. These events are opportunities for everyone to relax a bit and celebrate the accomplishments of the year. It’s not unusual for alcohol to be served at company holiday parties, which raises the question: does your company have a plan for a safe holiday celebration?

First Things First, Provide Guidelines for These Events

It's a proven best practice to proactively remind management and line employees their respective responsibilities when attending and/or hosting a corporate event where alcohol is being served to mitigate potential employee relations issues.  Establishing a policy and procedure to meet your organization's needs and objectives when communicating your company's stance on alcohol consumption at corporate events is a must.

• Be sure to include who is responsible for making decisions for the company at the event – the most senior ranking person, the event planner, etc.
• Set a limit for the number of drinks a person can consume and incorporate a way to manage this into the event by using drink tickets or some other system.

Make Arrangements Ahead of Time for Those Who Have Too Much

There will be cases where one or more people have too much to drink, so make arrangements for this ahead of time. Set up an account with Uber or a local taxi company to direct bill the company for their services the evening of the event, and make sure all attendees know this service is available. If it becomes evident that someone has had too much to drink, insist that they use the service to get home from the event.

Company holiday parties are a wonderful thing. They allow a company the chance to show appreciation to employees for the year’s work and everyone to have a good time. Make sure your event is safe and enjoyable for everyone who attends.