Time for a party? Consider red flags, tips, and alternatives

The annual office holiday party conjures up an array of memories and emotions—not all of them good, some downright horrendous. Many employees look forward to leaving the pressures of work behind and gathering with coworkers for a relaxed, festive good time. Others—dreading the thought of forced merriment—remember ghosts of parties past that were marred by bad behavior from coworkers and even managers. To set the right tone, the party planners need to be on the lookout for red flags and consider ways to make the gathering both appropriate and fun. Another idea to consider: Skip the bash altogether and do something else enjoyable.

Be warned

It doesn’t make someone a Scrooge to be on guard against trouble. After all, the mind reels when thinking about all that can go wrong at an office holiday party. An HR horror story was even chronicled in the 2016 movie Office Christmas Party, which showed merrymakers sledding down the office steps, swinging on string lights, and walking in on a live reindeer drinking from an office toilet.

But a party doesn’t have to be that bad to be a problem. Therefore, precautions are called for. To hold down the chance revelers will overindulge, parties that include alcohol need special care.