"We are having our Christmas party soon. They have traditionally involved a lot of alcohol and we have received sexual harassment complaints afterwards. We know there is a new duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, and we want to comply without spoiling the event for the majority of responsible staff. How do I handle it?”

Christmas time can be a particularly difficult period for businesses to navigate, especially with the high volume of social events. The “traditional” Christmas party can create a host of HR related problems and it important for employers to be alive to potential risks and reduce the risk of employment tribunal claims.

While some employers try to avoid culpability for incidents at the Christmas