The staff Christmas party is a great way to show your employees that you appreciate their hard work. It gives everyone an opportunity to relax, relieve Christmas stress and have fun.
It is also a fantastic opportunity for employees to bond and build positive relationships outside of the work environment. Throwing a Christmas party also demonstrates that you care about the health and wellbeing of your employees.
However, staff Christmas parties don’t always go as planned – especially when alcohol is involved. In this blog, we’re going to share our tips on how to plan for a successful night and how to deal with the aftermath.
Plan Ahead
The annual staff Christmas party is an exciting event! Your employees will be counting down the days until they can let their hair down with their work colleagues. If you want your staff Christmas party to go as smoothly as possible, there are a few things you can do beforehand.
Have A Word About The Staff Christmas Party
Before the staff Christmas party, gather your employees’ round for a quick team chat. Keep it light but address any concerns you may have. Explain to your employees that you want them to have fun and enjoy themselves, but you don’t want any incidents or injuries.
If the Christmas party is taking place on a weeknight, remind your employees that you expect them to be at work the following day. Also, remind your employees not to post inappropriate images or videos on social media as this can affect the brand image.
Provide Food And Soft Drinks
Everybody knows drinking on an empty stomach is a recipe for disaster. Planning a staff Christmas party that includes a meal is always a good idea. Plus, provide soft drinks such as water and juice for those who aren’t drinking (and for those who may want to sober up as the night goes on).
Organise Taxi’s Or Designated Drivers
To ensure your employees get home safely after the staff Christmas party, pre-book taxis or organise designated drivers. The employees who aren’t drinking may offer to drive other’s home. Make sure each of your employees is going to get home safely before you leave for the night.
Dealing With The Aftermath Of The Staff Christmas Party
As you head into the office the day after the staff Christmas party, you may be a little apprehensive about what awaits you. But don’t worry, there are a few things you can do to make dealing with the aftermath of the staff Christmas party that little bit easier…
Create Hangover Packages
There may be a few sores heads in the office this morning. Put together little ‘hangover packages’ for your team. These might include a bottle of water, Berocca, paracetamol, an isotonic drink, blister plasters and a coffee sachet.
Your team will greatly appreciate their Hangover Package and will be more productive once they’ve tackled their hangover.
Address Any Incidents Promptly
If there was an incident at the staff Christmas party, such as a disagreement or falling out, you need to take action quickly. Particularly if a complaint has been made.
Dealing with the incident and those involved as soon as possible is the best way to move forward. Leaving it until after Christmas can cause more problems and affect the whole team.
If workplace relationships are strained following the staff Christmas party, perhaps plan a team-building activity or a team lunch.
Motivate Employees
Motivating employees over the festive period is challenging. Especially the day after the staff Christmas party when your employees are either nursing a hangover or want to discuss the previous night’s antics.
We have a few tips. Firstly, keep up the Christmas cheer – it’s bad enough your employees are working over Christmas, don’t be a Scrooge too! Plus, you could suggest that your employees have an extra break.
And don’t forget to check in with your team. Have a quick chat with each employee (or department if it’s a large business) and get an understanding of what they’re currently working on. Ensure they’re still on track for Christmas deadlines and check that clients are happy.
Get In Touch
If you’d like to find out more about dealing with the aftermath of a staff party, get in touch with Wellspace. Here at Wellspace, we are experts in workplace wellness. We are aiming to revolutionise workplace wellness with our leading app, online portal and tailored wellbeing training.
