Last week reminded me vividly that Wisconsin has winter!  Especially for an HR Consultant, like myself who travels all the time.  With well over 12″ of snow in parts of the area I was trying to remind myself that winter is now one day shorter and that warmth would soon cover Wisconsin again.  This got me into thinking about all of HR Departments and businesses who are planning holiday parties.  A lot of businesses have been cutting back on their budgets and not even organizing their holiday parties, however there are businesses who are still putting them on.  If your organization will be having a holiday party it is absolutely vital that you do it the right way.  I am not talking about decking out the ball room with all of the trinkets, treats, and entertainment but how are you going to maintain it legally and prevent HR nightmares?

Yes this can be an HR nightmare!  Especially if alcohol is involved, employees dressing suggestively, employees failing to attend for good reason, co-workers flirting with other co-workers or even their significant other, employees brining uninvited guests or children, employees forgetting that the company holiday party is an actually company party not some wild insane dance club (see  picture to the left), etc.

Even more vital is how you are organizing the event and communicating to your employees.  There have been countless HR Managers who have been terminated because they communicated the event to the employees the wrong way.  Especially with how they title the event, like Christmas Party.  “But Sam, it is a Christmas Party.  Why would we not call it that?” you ask.  Discrimination, that is why.  Remember, not everyone celebrates Christmas.

A friend of mine sent me an email joke last week with a series of memos that were arranged by an HR Director of a company.  I won’t go into details because of the grammar, but the messages where constantly offending employees like people who celebrate different holiday traditions, eat different types of foods, people who don’t drink, etc.  Basically the HR Director offended so many people, that management terminated them immediately and the Holiday Party was cancelled.

Here is what I highly recommend if you are having one, call it “Holiday Party” and don’t have Santa there, gift exchanges, or anything related to any particular denomination.

“But Sam, how can you have a “Holiday Party” without being discriminating?”, you ask.

Here are some ideas:

  1. Have festive material, like tinsel, multi colored lights, or new year decorations (No-Noes: wreaths, symbols of a particular denomination, Santa, gifts, christmas or other holiday music)
  2. No Games that relate to any particular denomination, instead how about games that relate to new years or end of the year games.  This could be trivia of major events or events that happened this past year in your business, or trivia on the history of the company, or new years trivia, etc.
  3. Break out into groups, pick a topic that would get people to interact and get to know each other (especially if you have a lot of employees, this is a great way for people to get know each other and their families and build relationship that will help your business out down the road, etc.) etc.

There are palethera of ways to have fun at a “Holiday or New Year or End of Year Party” just as long as you aren’t discriminating and making it an all round encompassing event. 

If you have any particular questions or need ideas for your event feel free to contact me.  Have a wonderful Holiday Season and New Years!  Enjoy!