As you approach the holiday season, you may be thinking about your annual holiday party as a chance to socialize and engage with your employees, while offering them gratitude for a year of hard work. However, the holiday party can quickly turn into a liability for employers. Here’s a checklist to help set you up for success this holiday season.

Don’t set up your employees for failure

• Parties should not be hosted at bars, strip clubs, or other inappropriate venues.

• Parties that involve excessive drinking aren’t a good idea. Try setting a 2-drink max limit.

• If you are serving alcohol, serve food as well.

• Raunchy “lampshade” themes are inappropriate and should be avoided.

• Don’t retaliate against employees who choose not to attend the party. Avoid the temptation to think that just because someone doesn’t attend, he/she isn’t a “team player.”

• Religious holiday themes can offend employees and should be avoided- unless your organization is a religious entity.

Keep costs get under control

• Don’t send the wrong message by spending too much money on a holiday party.

• If you had to cut costs via layoffs, an expensive holiday party will seem wasteful.

 Set expectations in advance- especially with your leadership team

• Remind leaders that they must remain above reproach at all times- especially at holiday parties.

• Ensure the leadership team understands that the holiday party is an opportunity to thank their employees for a year of hard work. Leaders should serve food and socialize with employees as much as possible.

• Remind leaders that even though the holiday party is a social gathering, it is still a business function all workplace rules apply- especially when is comes to non-harassment/non-retaliation and drug-free workplace expectations.

• Communicate who is invited to the party (e.g., significant others or employees only).

 As an organization, set yourself up for success - especially when it comes to serving alcohol

• Do research on your venue or catering company. Find out if they have experience with effectively handling alcohol exposure.

• If you are providing free alcohol, look into your insurance policy to verify that you have host liquor liability coverage.

• If you are offering a cash bar, verify that your venue or caterer has a liquor liability insurance policy.

• Keep in mind that alcohol can inhibit good sense, and parties that involve alcohol can also involve impropriate, violent and/or prohibited behavior. Stay alert to this and respond to it appropriately.

 Managing through situations that go wrong

• Put together an action plan for anyone who is over served. Do not let anyone who is inhibited drive home or become a nuisance to others.

• Remember that regardless of the circumstance, you are an employer first and have reporting and resolutions responsibilities. ALL claims of harassment and/or retaliation must be thoroughly investigated- even if they happened at the holiday party.