View in browser | Unsubscribe

The holiday season is in full swing and, once again, it's office party season. Along with the fun, the potential for harassment suits and other liabilities increases at this time of year. There are many things organizations can do to prevent these things from happening, and the articles below address common problems.

A law firm offers suggestions for avoiding both lawsuits and bad publicity as a result of holiday party happenings. (Item #1) Workers both look forward to and dread holiday office parties; here are some tips for avoiding party landmines. (Item #2) Be careful your holiday party doesn't become a no-fault zone for bad behavior. (Item #3)

Diversity in the workplace is of great benefit to everyone, so here are some tips for holiday parties that celebrate multicultural traditions. (Item #4) Perhaps the best solution to the pitfalls of the holiday party is to call it off. (Item #5) Even small businesses should exercise caution and plan to avoid party difficulties.
(Item #6)

As always, we look forward to hearing about your concerns with regards to business continuity. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered, please email me at bmellinger@attainium.net

Best Regards,

Bob Mellinger
President
Attainium Corp

Quote of the Week

"...behind the gloss of festive celebrations and the camaraderie of Christmas parties
is the reality that you are socializing with colleagues
under the watchful eye of those further up the food chain."

-- Jo Bryant, The Huffington Post --

Articles

1. Keeping Your Company's Holiday Party out of the Newspaper Headlines
The comical stereotype of the company holiday party involves an inebriated supervisor with a lamp shade on his head chasing a secretary or a group of interns abusing the photocopy machine. Unfortunately-as many employers have discovered-this version of the company holiday party can expose an employer to serious risk in the form of direct liability for its own actions, vicarious liability for the actions of its employees, workers' compensation claims, and/or sexual harassment charges
http://www.wileyrein.com/publication_newsletters.cfm?ID=13&year=&publication_ID=10674&keyword

2. Ten Office Holiday Party Landmines to Avoid
Workers tend to dread holiday parties because "fun" and "continuing to pay your bills" rarely mix. Since you can't sit it out, eWEEK leads you through a guided tour of the landmines to avoid.
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2069995,00.asp

3. Thinking of Some Office Holiday Party Hanky Panky? Think Again
Why do sexual harassment claims spike in January? Because the holiday office party is often seen as a "no fault zone" for improper behavior which leads to alcohol fueled incidents that injure both employees and companies.
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2005/12/05/62740.htm

4. Multicultural and festive: Great office holiday parties
With these tips, It's easy to create a beautiful party that accommodates various religious or cultural traditions, or a celebration that simply emphasizes the season-and includes everyone effortlessly.
http://www.celebratewithstyle.com/site/multicultural-and-festive-great-office-holiday-parties

5. A New Holiday Tradition: No Office Party, but Two Days Off Instead
If companies decide to cancel holiday parties and give time off instead, will anyone be sorry? Media giant Viacom is doing just that… could this be the start of a trend?
http://workforce.com/wpmu/bizmgmt/2008/11/04/no_office_party/

6. Small businesses can avoid holiday party problems with careful planning
Most small business owners put a fair amount of planning into a holiday party for their employees - where to have it, what kind of food to serve. It's likely that many don't put the same effort toward ensuring that no one gets hurt and that the company isn't sued.
http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2007/10/25/business/doc471f8f932fdea354940265.txt