Am I responsible for employees behaving badly at the Holiday Party?

Provided by:  Jennifer Kirschenbaum, Esq.

December 5, 2019

Question:

Hi Jennifer, 

Am I responsibel for employees behaving badly at the Holiday Party?

Thanks, Dr. L

Answer:
 
Yes.  In particular, if this bad behavior is interpreted by any employees as sexual harassment, you are 100% responsible to address any bad behavior as employer. To avoid liability in a number of potential liability prone spheres, you must address any incident immediately, including but not limited to, an injured person or employee alleging harassment.  An incident report should be documented immediately by any witnesses and the steps to address also documented.  A holiday party is Company time. Please celebrate responsibly.