The Nightmare Before Christmas

Seasons greetings!

We are at a point in the year where, after the last push to meet end-of-year deadlines/targets and complete the last billing/invoicing cycle, workers can breathe a sigh of relief before it all starts again next year.

In the interim, most workers shall be revelling at the annual workplace Christmas party yet, for management and their HR teams, it is a time to keep litigation radars active. While work socials are a terrific opportunity for teams to celebrate, they can also be a breeding ground for misconduct claims particularly since it was not so long ago when we were all contemplating whether partying would ever return after the pandemic.

Employers ought to, therefore, take the time and do all that they reasonable can to reduce the risk of acts of misconduct arising (especially at work socials which are booze-fuelled) lest they find themselves being sued for vicariously liability for the conduct of their employee(s).