Risk assessment for the work Christmas lunch

[HelenInHeels]

The team are going for Christmas lunch next week (and going back to work afterwards). The health and safety manager has asked everyone to read and sign a risk assessment form. Covering things like: alcohol can impair judgement. There may be people fighting so be careful. Be aware of allergies.

I'm speechless.

Years ago I would have laughed these days it would not surprise me as adults don't seem to be able to take responsibility anymore for their actions

But doubt it would actually be legal to enforce

So what - you were all older practising catholics? Aren't most Catholic priests found guilty of abuse in that category?

The new Employment Rights Bill is making employers even more responsible for harassment of staff by other staff and third parties so I am not surprised that firms are having to take steps to show they are attempting to curtail it.

The risk assessment doesn't sound nearly thorough enough. I'd get a hi-vis vest to wear just in case.

What are you going to be fighting about and is anyone taking bets on the winner

The H&S manager? Seriously? It wasn’t one of those “Santa risk assessment” jokes that are trotted out at Christmas?
If he was serious he’s an idiot. I’m a H&S professional and this is the kind of shite that gives us a bad name and gets us mocked. Occupational safety and health is not about policing lunches 🙄

@Spirallingdownwards it was more the fact that they put it down as a risk. When it was so unlikely to happen. It was just a bit OTT.

Animosity over a year add alcohol.. what could possibly go wrong.
There's used to be in some instances in Aberdeen in years gone by court case's after Xmas parties fuelled by the free bars oil companies would pay for.

Yes snap. One of my team organises the Christmas do and summer parties and has to do a risk assessment, blanket not each of us to sign though. And then my boss who is the director sends an email out ostensibly about hoping to see you all there but with the behave bit at the end. They’ve a duty of care and can be held liable so obviously your work is taking no chances.

The Bill is a long way from being actual legislation, it is still at committee stage, so I don't think that's the reason, tbf.

There’s a new piece of legislation requiring employers to protect employees from harassment; this is part of their duty under that Act.

Do you not? I have seen more and more articles about it in industry news and LinkedIn and I think people are just more aware of potential harassment issues and are taking preparatory steps for it to become the norm before it comes into force. I seriously wouldn't be surprised if their HR team wasn't already reading about it and attending seminars at local law firms as well as taking part in the consultation process underway.

Legislation came into force in October for employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment. This is already in force and I would imagine is where the risk assessment idea has come from. It’s in the EHRC guidance for employers to do them for work socials. Might seem silly but just having the RA can stop successful claims with any nature of sexual harassment having their compensation increased by 25%.
the presence of alcohol is an increased area of risk for sure.

See this screams to me that they are trying to manage someone out, by getting them to sign that they totally understand that alcohol can impair judgement and then when everyone comes back, they are 'catch' someone who has had a couple of drinks and get them for it. Or perhaps everyone.

To be honest, while I agree that it seems over the top, too much risk analysis is better than too little.

What's your sexual harassment policy and it's risk assessment for things like staff socialising outside of the office?

How does signing a risk assessment that you know that men will sexually harass you stop men from sexually harassing you and reduce a claim if a man sexually harasses you?

😂at the thought of everyone going out in high vis vests like nursery children!

Christmas aside, some of my works outings have included one person being too drunk and refused entry to a pub, so spent time gazing through / knocking on pub window. Same person getting too drunk and upset about something and his senior manager having him in a headlock in the restaurant. On a work trip away, same person getting too drunk and being carried back to his hotel room one person on each arm/foot and put to bed by colleagues! 😂 and the person in question is management!

The point of the risk assessment should be that preventative measures are put in place to prevent sexual harassment.

Claims can be uplifted by an employment tribunal if employers don’t put in reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment.

But surely a risk assessment doesn't remove liability -- it certainly doesn't shift it on to the employee. The point of a risk assessment is to identify risks and the actuons that need to be taken to mitigate them. Eg if they really thought there might be fighting at the venue, they would have to ditch the intention of going there, or make sure no employees had alcohol, etc (or perhaps provide some stab-proof PPE).
If they identify risks that they don't mitigate they are increasing their potential for being prosecuted.
That risk assessment looks like the kind of paperwork that the HSE is always pleading with people to minimise in favour of actual commonsense planning.

We don't have one for my Christmas lunch. Concerning, as we will all have knives and the plates might be quite warm to the touch.

Yes but at an employment tribunal they’ll look to see what sort of mitigation was in place and a risk assessment is something that shows employers have considered it - every workplace I’ve worked in has at least one old male employee who likes making shock suggestive remarks and can get a bit touchy feely after a few drinks, so best not sit him on a table with the young female apprentices. Just anticipating any risks and mitigating them, then if something goes wrong they can at least say they tried. It’s possibly overkill, but we were advised to conduct a risk assessment for those reasons.

The preventative measures would be to not employ men or not to pay for them to attend the Christmas meal surely? Not to reduce a claim if a woman is sexually harassed just because they ticked a box on a form a few weeks earlier.

If you have a creepy old man at work who touches women then fucking fire him.

Practicing catholics?! so was I once, and I was wild 😜