Rein it in | Christmas parties are prime territory for HR problems - here's how to avoid them

The annual office Christmas party is a great way for colleagues to let their hair down and bond with each other outside of the traditional work environment.

And for many, this year’s instalment might be the first Christmas party in several years - the nation was in lockdown in December 2020, and last December saw many festivities voluntarily cancelled due to rising cases of the Covid variant Omicron.

This, coupled with the fact that 2022 has seen higher levels of stress and burnout than the height of the pandemic – according to Gartner research – and there’s a very real risk that some employees might let their hair down a little too much.

In fact, a recent report by the CIPD identified that 1 in 10 workers knew of someone from their organisation who has either been dismissed or disciplined for inappropriate behaviour at the staff Christmas party.