It is hard to believe but, the holidays are right around the corner. It is the time of year when everyone comes together to mix, mingle and celebrate the season and each other. Everyone is merry, bright and looking to enjoy their friends and families. It is a time of year where your employees begin to feel like family, many times it becomes difficult to distinguish friends and co-workers. So the question becomes should you host a holiday party for your staff?
Hosting a holiday party always seems like an excellent idea, whether it is with friends, family, work or even a special organization however, there is always the chance that the party might get out of control. Someone may consume too much alcohol, cause a fight and ruin the entire evening for the group as a whole. Hosting a party does absolutely bring your employees together and allow you the opportunity to enjoy quality time with your employees but, it can be stressful and cause increased liability.
Just seeing those two words put together side by side will probably make you nervous and they should. If deciding to host a holiday party for your staff it will each and every guest in attendance will become your responsibility until the moment they arrive home. This may pursue you if hosting a party to refrain from serving alcohol. This may seem off base considering we are hospitality professionals but, it protects your business, your employees and your reputation in the community. If choosing to host alcohol at your party it is preferable to have designated drivers available to all staff members. This will reduce the possibility of any issues from drinking and driving.
Holiday get togethers can also be extremely costly, although costs can be reduced if held at your establishment. A wonderful idea if hosting a gathering is to have every employee bring in a dish that represents them in the best way, perhaps an ethnic dish that helps celebrate their heritage.
There are many ways to look at hosting a holiday party and it truly is a wonderful way to gather all of your staff together to reminisce about the year they spent together. It can be done in a way that is safe, enjoyable and memorable. Be mindful if you choose to serve alcohol and remember that your employees represent you in all regards, if you host the event at an outside venue and the behavior poorly it reflects directly on your establishment.