THE death sentence appears to be hanging over the future of booze and the company Christmas party.
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Well, at least the festive season might be a far more sober affair if the portents are correct.
Media reports this week have declared that the office party is under threat – another victim of the anachronism of more innocent days gone by and the litigious and legal minefields workplaces operate in now.
Of course, plenty will tell you there wasn’t always much that was innocent when it came to Christmas parties in the office – or even after stragglers carried on after hours.
The histories of workplaces are rife with some colourful anecdotes and a legion of stories about who got up to what – and, sometimes, who did what to whom.
But now, leading employer groups have warned businesses of the new risks they face in serving alcohol to employees at Christmas parties, following a successful unfair dismissal case.
The chief executive of the Australian Industry Group, Innes Willox, has been quoted as saying the decision highlighted the need for companies to minimise risks at Christmas parties and other out-of-hours work functions.
And this included restricting the amount of alcohol served, keeping to a set time for the event, and considering how employees will get home safely.
Employees, of course, he said, also had a responsibility to behave appropriately at work functions.
Australian Federation of Employers and Industries chief executive Garry Brack was reported too as saying employers had been left in limbo by the Fair Work Commission’s decision and its inconsistency on the issue.
Mr Brack said in some decisions, employers were told they should take action, or should have taken action, while in other cases they got the reverse.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the decision meant employers would need to be more cautious about serving alcohol at Christmas parties.
Chamber director of workplace relations Richard Clancy said employers who failed to monitor the alcohol intake of employees at work functions would now be restricted in their ability to discipline or sack them for inappropriate behaviour.
For many media, the ruling and the fallout means that all those annual “How to survive the office Christmas party” stories and tips take on a more sober meaning.
Tales of bare backsides on office photocopiers might indeed have been consigned to oblivion, although selfies will still rule, with or without booze. Social media often doesn’t need a reason to be saucy.