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Christmas parties can be great fun or a complete nightmare depending on how well they are organised. For the person stuck with organising them it can be a nightmare. If you do it well you can earn brownie points from both bosses and colleagues - but if you do it badly then don't expect a good pay rise next year - everyone will hate you.
For a company it is one way of visibly showing your staff how you feel about them - and half-a-pint of lager and a packet of crisps is not going to do it for a lot of people. Remember you can spend up to £150 per person without any tax liability for your staff.
You can engender warm feelings towards the company if everyone has a good time. It can also be beneficial to a business if lots of people know one another and departmental lines get broken down in a social situation.
Tips for ensuring your party goes with a swing
1 Work out what your budget is and then adapt your party to what you can afford - a lavish spread in a cheaper venue may appeal more to your workers than a mean party in an upmarket hotel.
2 Choose an appropriate venue - if you hold it in the office make sure that you clear any equipment out of the way - you don't want red wine spilled over keyboards.
If you are going out of the office, choose a place that is appropriate to the occasion and to the partygoers - don't choose a posh sit-down restaurant if you have young staff who want to have a good time and dance. On the other-hand if your workforce is the type to complain about live music then clubbing is probably not a good idea. Also make sure it is suitable for the number of people involved - if the venue is large enough for 250 people and you only have 50 it is going to look empty and the wrong mood will be created.
3 Pick a date and let everyone know well in advance - people have busy lives in December so giving ample notice helps everyone. Remember Thursday and Friday nights are very popular and venues get booked up fast. Also make sure it doesn't clash with an important meeting the following day where you would usually need everyone on top form. It also helps everyone know if you let them know what the dress code is - is it party frocks or come as you are in what you would usually wear to work. Also make it clear what time the party starts and ends.
4 Remember some people will not want to attend - for a range of personal reasons - being around alcohol may not suit workers of various religious beliefs, others may have domestic commitments that they cannot escape. Do not hold it against workers who do not wish to attend.
5 Make sure you serve food as well as drink. It will help ensure that no-one gets too drunk. If you are holding the party on your own premises make sure you have organised and ordered the food in advance. You are generally advised to stick to buffet-style food. If you are going to a restaurant or a pub you will generally find that set menus are the best bet for large parties - remember that you are likely to have vegetarians and possibly others with dietary requirements, eg a potentially fatal allergy to peanuts - so make sure you ask in advance whether someone has special needs.
6 If you have set a limit on the amount of free booze then make sure people know about it in advance so that if the drink runs out half-way through the evening there are not dark mutterings about how mean you are. And everyone will know that they have to pay for their own drinks from then on.
7 Sort out what kind of entertainment, if any is going to be there. Are you hiring a disco? Will you play silly party games? Are you going to have a karaoke session?
8 Circulate, but as bosses try not to put a dampener on things and leave at a discreet time so that the staff can let their hair down a bit.
9 If you are having party games make sure no-one will get too embarrassed.
10 Keep any speeches VERY short.
11 If you can afford it why not have a raffle - giving everyone a ticket (for free) when they arrive and having the prize drawer later on. It will make you appear extra generous.
12 If you are shipping people into the middle of nowhere make sure that they can get home safely. Have taxis booked and make sure in advance who is going with whom so that you can maximise value for money - one with everyone going east, another with those going south etc.
And finally - be warned - in some more litigious countries like the US and Australia employers have ended up in court after the Christmas party with complaints of sexual harassment, people being offended by ribald behaviour and a bald man who complained he was given hair tonic as a joke gift.
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