For many, December is a joyful time of year, full of parties,
dinners, and decorations. Yet those same festivities make December
a busy time of year for us at Shaw Law Group, as we field all kinds
of holiday-season-related questions from our clients. This year,
we'll share some of those questions with our faithful blog
readers in a December series we're calling the "Holiday
Hotline"! Today, we'll tackle a few questions about
workplace holiday parties...
Dear SLG: We have our office holiday party coming up. Can we
serve alcohol?
Yes! But, employees who drink to excess may cause employers a
headache that will last much longer than the morning after. For
example, if an employee drinks employer-provided alcohol, becomes
intoxicated, is allowed to drive home, and suffers or causes an
injury as a result, then some court decisions suggest that an
employer may be liable for resulting damages and workers'
compensation costs. Alcohol also lowers inhibitions, which can
