Alcohol fuelled office party antics are a source of great amusement for many and for the most part those antics could be considered harmless fun. However, when does harmless fun become harmful behaviour and who gets to decide where to draw the line?

In our recent survey on alcohol in the office, 30 per cent of respondents said their employers provided alcohol to employees every Friday after 4.30pm. Additionally, 33 per cent of respondents said they were unaware of any kind of policy in place to guide employees on appropriate alcohol consumption or expectations of behaviour at office functions.

Many employers do seem to be providing guidance on alcohol at these functions, but those who aren’t are dicing with danger, said Donna Neill, Managing Consultant in Beilby's HR Consulting Division.

“Firstly, employers have the same duty of care to their employees at a company function away from the office, as they do at an in-house office event.

“It’s important for employers to be aware that the line when a work function ends is very woolly, and although there may be a perception that it is over, an employer would be required to become involved if a serious incident such as an allegation of sexual harassment was made.

“In fact there have been cases where employees accused of sexual harassment at a company function have been suspended on full pay,” Donna said.

Alcohol fuelled antics affect all parties, as the September 2009 televised incident involving Australian footballer Brendan Fevola highlighted and the infamous chair-sniffing apology by Western Australian State Treasurer Troy Buswell.

Clearly, there is a great deal to be said for the responsibility of the individual in circumstances similar to these. However, from an employer’s perspective we also have a responsibility to make every effort to help prevent these incidents.

“After all, who wants to end up in costly court proceedings debating responsibility when the incident could have been avoided in the first place?” said Donna.

Guidelines for alcohol at work functions

• Review your organisation’s drinking culture. Do you treat alcohol as a reward for performance and if so, is this contributing towards a culture of alcohol? If yes, could you substitute alcohol with something else? 
• If you don’t have a policy on alcohol in the workplace or work events - create one. Make it clear and concise and ensure you communicate it to every employee. Cover issues such as harassment, health and safety and give your employees clear ‘do’s and don’ts’ for expected behaviours.
• Present both sides of the equation to your employees. Explain your responsibility in protecting them from verbal and physical harm, and be clear about what will happen to staff that do not adhere to the guidelines.
• Make sure you educate your employees about expected behaviours to ensure they are left in no doubt. Introduce the guidelines at employee inductions and ensure you reinforce your messages prior to peak seasonal events such as festive holidays and events like Melbourne Cup Day.