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As the festive season approaches and employees attend their work Christmas parties, it has been known for some workers to let their hair down and take part in frivolities after a few beverages.
But of course, this can lead to inappropriate behaviour, which can cause upset and controversy among teams and managers.
To combat this, workers at insurance market Lloyd’s of London have been told to behave during the Christmas party season, reported the BBC.
John Neal, Chief Executive of Lloyd’s told trade publication Financial News that staff members had been emailed warning them to be ‘particularly careful’.
This news comes following a vow made in September by Lloyd’s to tackle its culture after a devasting sexual misconduct report was shared.
To tackle its culture, a survey was launched which discovered that eight per cent of workers had witnessed sexual harassment in the past 12 months.
It also discovered that female workers had faced inappropriate comments and physical attacks by male colleagues, while complaints were also made about excessive alcohol consumption and loutish behaviour.
As part of its initiative to build a better culture, Lloyd’s placed posters in the toilets and pubs near its office in the City of London, in a bid to encourage more appropriate behaviour and urge staff to report instances of sexual harassment.
However, the insurance market has assured staff that this professional behaviour is expected all year-round and not just at Christmas.
A Spokesman said: "The message is part of our wider speaking-up campaign in which we have been clear about the standards of behaviour that we expect and our ongoing commitment to cultural change in the market."
There are key takeaways for HR when it comes to organising a work Christmas party, and ensuring staff members behave in an inappropriate manner.
For example, HR should consider including sober partygoers to help look after employees who may have consumed too much alcohol. This is something accounting firm BDO is implementing with the addition of sober chaperones to deal with any emergencies on the night.
Plus, HR should also outline the repercussions employees would face if their behaviour did get out of hand, to help avoid any such instances occur such as harassment, rudeness or drunkenness.
