Lonely in business at Christmas
Business parties at Christmas can be good fun and a great night out, but they can also be a complete nightmare – as many HR consultants will tell you.
When you get a whole load of people letting their hair down, and alcohol is also present, lots of inhibitions fall by the wayside, along with sense and awareness! Believe it or not, many of these situations turn into real issues.
A review of the UK Employment Tribunal decisions showed that there have been around 322 cases since 2017 referring to incidents tied to festive celebrations. This is an average of 40 cases every Christmas. These incidents range from alcohol-fuelled arguments to inappropriate remarks and after-party incidents. Some of the problems occurred outside the actual event, on the way home, in late-night gatherings or in WhatsApp group chats following the event.
According to HR leaders most of the complaints are handled internally, which suggests that the actual volume of incidents is far higher.
Christmas parties are supposed to be a time of celebration, not a time for boundary-blurring behaviour.
Hopefully though, most office parties can also be great fun and a wonderful time to mix with your office comrades outside of work hours. Despite the review, I’m sure far more of these events happen without any dramas whatsoever.
Do you still have a Christmas ‘do’?
When people strike out on their own and set up their own business, one of the things they miss out on is the camaraderie of social events, meaning that being a solo entrepreneur at Christmas time can feel a little lonely. Therefore, as I work with a number of solo entrepreneurs, for the last three years I’ve run a not for profit, Christmas lunch where they can mingle with other solo business owners. Having a bit of a laugh ready for the festive season is, for us at Scott Media, totally compulsory!
For this reason, for the last few years as a spin-off from the Scott Media Monthly Meet Up we have run a Christmas lunch (entirely not for profit) for around 30 people.
This year as we have in previous years, we will be doing this on Tuesday December 16 from noon at the Double Tree Hilton in Swindon at £28 a head for a two course meal. Money from each ticket will be donated to Ainslie’s Pavilion Project, that I support.
We already have a good number booked and we’re looking forward to celebrating Christmas in the Scott Media way this week. We always have a good laugh with a dose of silliness too, and it’s all over by 3pm at the latest.
Another way that solo business owners can be involved in Christmas parties is if they belong to a regular business networking group. Several of the groups I belong to have Christmas parties too, which is another way to feel included in a group Christmas celebration. Many of these groups either have meals, or arrange activities where they can all be together and have fun. Exchanging ‘secret Santa’ gifts always creates a great amount of fun, especially when you all know each other well and can choose appropriate silly gifts. Then of course, depending on the gifts, great conversation follows!
If you’d like to talk to me about how I can help with your PR, then please contact Hannah on