Strict harassment rules could be 'death' of boozy office Christmas parties - 'Such events are becoming too risky'

Employers who have failed to put in adequate protections for staff could face lengthy tribunals and be forced to hand out hefty compensations amounts.

Under the new Worker Protection Act, lawyers now suspect that some employers could pull the plug on their festive parties, with such events “becoming too risky”.

Bosses are now being told to be “particularly mindful of the new rules”.

Charlie Barnes, head of employment law at the legal services company RMS, said: “With increasing legal responsibilities for staff safety and mounting financial pressures brought about by the recent budget, some companies could decide to scrap the Christmas party altogether this year as they may feel such events are becoming too risky, too difficult to manage and too costly.”

Updated workplace sexual harassment guidance published last September by the Equality and Human Rights Commission said that employers must ensure that they are more active in their approach to assessing risk.

Bosses must also then identify action on how to combat these potential risks, which includes possible sexual harassment.

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Barnes continued: “Further responsibilities for the safety of others may also be on the horizon for employers.

“The Employment Rights Bill currently making its way through parliament places a greater responsibility on employers to take all reasonable steps and includes protection from acts by third parties such as customers, clients or suppliers who are invited to company events, attending company premises or are interacting with employees in other ways.”

A Treasury report published last year said: “Forms of sexual harassment in financial services ranged from ‘microaggressions’ such as inappropriate comments and being excluded from meetings, through to criminal harassment, assault and rape.”

Christmas celebrations in the office could also be scaled back due to the recently announced Budget, small business owners have claimed.

Smaller businesses have said they plan to reduce their festive activities by 10 per cent, despite bosses admitting that the celebrations help boost team morale.

A spokesperson for business account brand ANNA, who conducted the study, said: “It’s a fun time of year but Christmas parties can be very expensive, and when that’s paired with a tough trading year, it’s no wonder plans are being scaled back.”

This year, small and medium sized enterprises plan on allocating £1,353 for the festivities, equating to £108 per employee.