End of year function risk management

To assist employers with managing risk this festive season, our HR specialists have identified 6 rules to help you manage the health and safety.

1.  Physical and psychosocial hazards - risk assessment and corrective measures

Engage your Health and Safety Representatives (HSR) and/or Human Resources (HR) in the planning of the function. Like all of your events it is important that you identify both physical and psychological hazards so that they can be removed or at the very least control measures can be implemented.

2.  Inform employees about the behavioural expectations and starting and finishing time of the function

Prior to the function, send out an email to all employees with clear guidelines about behavioural expectations during the event and the disciplinary consequences should there be a breach. Employers must also inform all employees of the starting and finishing time of the function and stick to these times particularly the finishing time.

3.  Manage reasonable alcohol consumption

Drinking too much is going to be a key health and safety risk. Employers should consider restricting the amount of alcohol served and have non-alcoholic beverages available as well. Serving food can also help with both slowing down the consumption of alcohol and ensuring that employees are not drinking on an empty stomach which seems to exacerbate or accelerate the effects of alcohol.

4.  Supervision

Although no one wants to be the “fun police” employers are encouraged to ensure that prior to the event they have identified individuals who have committed to being safety monitors. Ideally this will be members of the management team so that they will also double as good examples for the staff. Such people should commit to either drinking no or a very small amount of alcohol during the function. Such safety monitors should be empowered to step in should they see any safety risk either physical or psychological.

5.  Think ahead about how your employees will get home safely

Employers should, prior to the event consider how employees can get home safely after the function, particularly if they have consumed alcohol. This can be achieved in a number of ways, for example;

• Encouraging employees to make a plan prior to the function about how they will get home safely
• Ensuring your venue has public transport access within a reasonable distance and sharing that information with your employees
• Consider providing reimbursements or vouchers for taxi’s or public transport or supplementing such expense

6.  Debrief

After the function, review the health and safety risk assessments made before the event and evaluate the control measures in place. This will help improve planning for the following year.

Should you have any queries, HR Advisory services or training needs, please contact your usual Forvis Mazars advisor or one of our specialists via the form below or on:

Updated: 21/11/2024

Please note that this publication is intended to provide a general summary and should not be relied upon as a substitute for personal advice.

All rights reserved. This publication in whole or in part may not be reproduced, distributed or used in any manner whatsoever without the express prior and written consent of the Forvis Mazars, except for the use of brief quotations in the press, in social media or in another communication tool, as long as Forvis Mazars and the source of the publication are duly mentioned. In all cases, Forvis Mazars’ intellectual property rights are protected and the Forvis Mazars Group shall not be liable for any use of this publication by third parties, either with or without Forvis Mazars’ prior authorisation. Also please note that this publication is intended to provide a general summary and should not be relied upon as a substitute for personal advice. Content is accurate as at the date published.