{"id":20238,"date":"2024-11-08T01:36:27","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T01:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/?p=20238"},"modified":"2025-09-23T03:09:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T03:09:44","slug":"keep-it-merry-and-safe-managing-health-and-safety-at-christmas-parties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/2024\/11\/08\/keep-it-merry-and-safe-managing-health-and-safety-at-christmas-parties\/","title":{"rendered":"Keep It Merry and Safe: Managing Health and Safety at Christmas Parties"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Keep It Merry and Safe: Managing Health and Safety at Christmas Parties<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Christmas party season is nearly upon us \u2013 time for tinsel, Secret Santa, and perhaps a glass or two of something festive! It\u2019s a great way to thank your team and celebrate the year, but before you dive into planning the ultimate shindig, don\u2019t forget that health and safety still need to be part of the mix. After all, the last thing anyone wants is for the night to turn into a Christmas disaster<\/em> movie!<\/p>

Here\u2019s a fun, relaxed guide to keeping your Christmas bash safe while ensuring the only thing that gets out of control is the karaoke.<\/p>

  1. Be clear About What\u2019s Naughty and Nice<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

    Your team\u2019s excited to let loose, but it’s good to remind them that the party is still a work event. That means normal rules apply: no inappropriate behavior, no excessive drinking, and definitely no photocopying body parts! A friendly pre-party reminder can help everyone stay on the “nice” list.<\/p>

    1. Let\u2019s Talk Booze: Cheers, Not Chaos!<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

      Christmas parties often involve a little holiday cheer, but managing alcohol is key to keeping things fun and safe. Here\u2019s how to do it:<\/p>

      • Keep the drinks flowing, but mix it up with plenty of non-alcoholic options and food. (No one wants a party crasher hangover.)<\/li>
      • Consider limiting alcohol with drink tokens or breaks between rounds. People can still have fun without hitting the \u201cOh no, did I really say that?\u201d stage.<\/li>
      • Have someone at the bar who can keep an eye on things and step in if anyone\u2019s on the verge of turning the dancefloor into a wrestling ring.<\/li><\/ul>
        1. Get Home Safe <\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

          No one should have to guess how they’re getting home after the party. Arrange transport options ahead of time \u2013 taxis, Uber, or even a company-organized bus.<\/p>

          Make sure people know that driving under the influence is not an option. It\u2019s all about getting everyone home safely.<\/p>

          1. Party Guardians: Keep an Eye Out<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

            Designate a couple of responsible team members as the unofficial \u201cParty Guardians.\u201d They don\u2019t have to wear a cape, but they should be able to step in if anything goes sideways. Whether it\u2019s checking for hazards, offering some water, or calling a taxi for someone who\u2019s had one too many, it\u2019s good to have a couple of people looking out for the crowd.<\/p>

            1. The Morning After: Go Easy<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>

              Let\u2019s face it: the day after the Christmas party, no one\u2019s going to be at peak performance. Consider offering a later start time or flexible working the next day, especially if your team put in a big effort celebrating. It shows you care about their well-being and gives everyone a little more time to recover from the festivities.<\/p>

              With a little planning, you can throw a fun, safe Christmas party everyone will remember for the right reasons. Happy holidays!<\/p>

              \u00a0<\/p>

              Anna Ramm
              Network HR
              Email: anna@networkhr.co.nz<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              The Christmas party season is nearly upon us \u2013 time for tinsel, Secret Santa, and perhaps a glass or two of something festive! It\u2019s a great way to thank your team and celebrate the year, but before you dive into planning the ultimate shindig, don\u2019t forget that health and safety still need to be part of the mix.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19841,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-advice"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20238"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20245,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20238\/revisions\/20245"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nzsda.org.nz\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}