Work Christmas Party Safety: 7 Tips Every Employer Should Know
By now, you've probably got your work Christmas party booked, the menu sorted and the entertainment organised. If you haven't, you'd better get a move on!
But how much thought have you given to keeping your employees safe on the night?
We're not talking about putting a dampener on the festivities but it’s important to recognise that Christmas parties can bring together a few ingredients that aren't always a great combination - alcohol, late nights, large groups of people and occasionally, some questionable behaviour.
And whilst we're all hoping for a brilliant night, it's worth spending a little time thinking about what could go wrong and, more importantly, what you can do to prevent it.
So, here are our 7 tips for a safer work Christmas party.
1. Know Your Responsibilities
First, a quick word about the law (we promise to keep it brief!).
From 30 October 2026 in the UK, changes introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025 mean employers in England, Scotland and Wales must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment at work.
Importantly, employers can also be held responsible for harassment by third parties if they haven't taken all reasonable steps to prevent it.
And we're not just talking about customers or clients. At a Christmas party, this could include other guests at the venue, contractors or even venue staff.
And yes, these responsibilities can extend to work Christmas parties, even when they're held outside normal working hours or away from the workplace.
So it's no longer enough to have an anti-harassment policy tucked away in a staff handbook. Employers need to be proactive, think about potential risks and take practical steps to prevent problems before they happen.
But whether you're based in the UK or elsewhere, taking sensible steps to protect your employees is something every organisation should be doing.
2. Ask the Venue a Few Questions
You've probably already checked the menu, bar prices and whether there's somewhere to dance. But what about security?
Here are a few questions worth asking:
Will other groups or members of the public be using the venue?
Are there security staff available if someone becomes aggressive or threatening?
What's the procedure if someone reports harassment or suspected drink spiking?
Is there a safe, quiet area where someone can wait if they're feeling unwell or uncomfortable?
Are the entrances, exits and taxi collection points well-lit?
Our tip: Ask for the name and contact number of the person managing the venue on the night (this can often be different from who you made the booking with and they might not be fully briefed). If something happens, you don't want to be searching for someone who can help.
3. Don't Forget About Getting Home
Here's something that's easily overlooked. How are your employees getting home?
They might be travelling to an unfamiliar location, public transport could have finished for the night, or they might be walking alone to a car park.
A few things you could do:
Arrange a preferred taxi company and give employees the booking details beforehand.
Check the last train or bus times and share them.
If the venue is remote, consider organising a minibus to a central location.
Make sure employees know where to wait safely for taxis and lifts.
Don't forget anyone who's travelling alone or staying overnight.
Remind employees to charge their phones before the party and familiarise themselves with their phone's emergency SOS feature.
Here's an idea: Put together a simple 'Getting Home Safely' guide and send it out before the party. You could even ask the venue to display the taxi details at reception.
You could also share our 7 Step Guide to Staying Safe on Dark Nights, which has plenty of practical advice for travelling home safely, whether it's after the Christmas party or an ordinary working day.
And remember, nobody should feel pressured to stay until the end if they need to leave earlier to get home safely.
And how about a little Christmas gift?
Why not give employees a personal safety alarm to attach to their keys or bag? Not to replace the Christmas bonus of course! Or else they wouldn’t be very popular.
They're relatively inexpensive and can be a useful extra precaution, particularly during the darker evenings and when getting home from the office party.
Just remind everyone to keep their alarm accessible, test it in advance and not to rely on it as their only safety measure.
Here is our blog on self defence gadgets with a link to the personal safety alarms that we use and have tried and tested: Personal safety alarms
4. Send Everyone a Friendly Reminder
You might think everyone knows how to behave at a work Christmas party. Unfortunately, that's not always the case!
Alcohol can lower inhibitions, and behaviour that someone thinks is harmless fun might make another person feel extremely uncomfortable.
We're talking about unwanted touching, inappropriate comments, persistent attention or someone who won't take no for an answer.
One simple thing you can do is send a friendly email before the party reminding everyone of a few ground rules.
Here’s a template to get you started that you can adapt to suit your organisation and culture.
Christmas Party Email Template
Subject: A Few Things Before Our Christmas Party! 🎄
Hi everyone,
We're really looking forward to celebrating Christmas with you!
We want everyone to have a fantastic evening, so just a few reminders before the festivities begin.
Please be respectful of your colleagues and their personal boundaries. What one person finds funny, someone else might find uncomfortable.
Remember that consent matters. Never assume someone is comfortable with unwanted attention or physical contact, particularly if they've been drinking.
There's absolutely no pressure to drink alcohol, and please respect anyone who chooses not to.
Look out for each other. If you notice someone seems uncomfortable or needs assistance, check they're okay or ask for help.
Plan your journey home in advance. [Insert taxi/transport details.]
If something happens that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, please speak to [contact name] or [alternative contact]. Any concerns will be taken seriously.
Most importantly, enjoy yourselves and have a brilliant evening!
See you there!
[Company Name]
Of course, an email isn't a substitute for workplace policies or training, but it's a simple way to remind everyone what's expected.
Whilst we're on the subject of alcohol...
I'm a non-drinker myself, so I know that not everyone wants a glass of wine or a cocktail in their hand all evening! Make sure there's plenty of food, water and some nice alcohol-free options available.
And if you're organising a free bar, think carefully about how you manage it. Unlimited alcohol and drinking challenges might sound like fun, but they can increase the risk of things getting out of hand.
5. Have a Plan for the 'What Ifs'
At Streetwise Defence, we're big believers in asking 'What if?'
What if an employee is being harassed by someone at the venue?
What if two colleagues have an argument that starts getting heated?
What if someone suspects their drink has been spiked?
What if someone becomes so unwell that they can't get home safely?
Hopefully, none of these things will happen. But it's far better to have a plan than to be making decisions in the middle of a difficult situation.
Our suggestion: Nominate two suitably trained people they can approach for help.
And make sure they're the right people for the job! If your nominated contact has had several drinks and is dancing on a table, they're probably not going to be much help to someone reporting a serious incident.
Choose responsible people who are happy to remain sober, approachable and available throughout the event. Ideally, employees should have a choice of who to speak to, particularly if their concern involves someone more senior.
Make sure your nominated contacts know who to contact at the venue, what to do in an emergency and how to deal sensitively with anyone who raises a concern.
And one important point - don't expect an employee to confront someone who's behaving aggressively. Getting help and avoiding escalation should always be the priority.
6. Encourage Employees to Look Out for Each Other
Have you ever been in a situation where someone has made you feel uncomfortable, but you've struggled to find a way to leave without causing a scene?
It can be even more difficult when that person is a colleague or someone senior to you.
Encourage employees to be aware of what's happening around them and to look out for colleagues who might need a little support.
Sometimes, a simple 'Are you ok?' or 'Come and join us' can give someone an opportunity to remove themselves from an uncomfortable situation.
If a situation looks threatening, encourage employees to involve the venue's security team rather than trying to intervene physically.
Remember: The responsibility for harassment or inappropriate behaviour always lies with the person responsible, not the person experiencing it.
7. Don't Assume Everything Was Fine Because Nobody Complained
Your Christmas party was a great success, everyone appeared to have a lovely time and nobody reported any problems.
Excellent! But don't automatically assume that means nothing happened.
People don't always feel comfortable raising concerns at the time, particularly if the person involved is a manager or senior colleague.
And what about the after-party? If some employees decide to carry on celebrating elsewhere after the official event finishes, inappropriate behaviour could still have workplace consequences, depending on the circumstances. It's worth making clear when the official company event ends, but don't assume that automatically removes all responsibility for what happens afterwards.
A short follow-up email thanking everyone for attending, with a reminder that they can raise any concerns privately, is a sensible step.
And if something is reported, make sure it's taken seriously and dealt with appropriately.
One Final Piece of Advice - Invest in Personal Safety Training
Christmas parties aren't the only time employees might face harassment, aggression, conflict or threats to their personal safety. So why not make personal safety training part of your plans for the coming year?
Our CPD-accredited Personal Safety Workshops are available online or in person and can be tailored to your organisation, helping employees to:
Recognise and prevent risks before situations escalate.
Set boundaries and manage conflict with greater confidence.
Develop practical personal safety skills whilst reinforcing a company-wide culture of safety and respect.
Tip: For UK employers, relevant training can also help evidence the proactive steps you're taking towards meeting your responsibilities under the strengthened workplace harassment legislation, alongside your other preventive measures.
Find out more about our Corporate Personal Safety Workshops and how Streetwise Defence can help keep your employees safer, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year.