Toronto Injury Lawyer Blog
The Holiday Season is upon us. And with the Holidays comes a lot of celebration. Office holiday parties. Family holiday parties. Friend holiday parties. Sporting team holiday parties. You name it. People will get together and party.
And with parties comes responsibility. Whether or not you’re a host, or a guest, you have a job to do.
With this edition of the Toronto Injury Lawyer Blog, we will review some dos and don’ts for the holiday party season.
Don’t Overconsume
Will there be alcohol at your holiday party? Probably. Will there be cannabis? Perhaps. Will there be edible cannabis products? You never know. Either way; whatever it is that you consume, do it responsibly and don’t over do it. This is not only to keep you and others safe. It also applies to those office parties or other social gathering when you can end up saying (or doing) something that you will regret on account of having too much to smoke or drink. Just because something is legal (alcohol or cannabis) doesn’t mean that you or your guests are entitled to consume it until they can’t function. In some cases, the host can be held responsible for the over consumption of their guests. This concept is known as social host liability. While social host liability is not easy to prove, it exists and can be established in certain situations. In fact, the Supreme Court of Canada examined the concept of social host liability in a case called Childs v. Desmoreaux [2006] 1 S.C.R. 643, 2006. It’s an interesting read for all those interested in the concept of the responsibilities of a social host for a party involving alcohol, along with the concept of social host liability.
Do Offer Non Alcoholic Beverages and be ready to provide transportation options
If you are hosting a party, make sure that there are plenty of non-alcoholic beverage options for your guests. Food. Snacks. Deserts. Beverages which don’t contain alcohol. All great ideas when hosting a holiday party. The alcohol only party (like a drinks only pre-drink) will only serve to get your guests inebriated very quickly over a short period of time. Drunk people don’t make for good decision makers, especially when it comes to driving.
Do make sure that your guests have a safe way of getting home
Make that that your guests have a way of getting home safely. If you live in a remote area, or Uber is running very late, then be ready to have guests spend the night. Better that they spend the night on your couch, rather than they drive a vehicle and cause a motor vehicle accident. Designated driver programs are wonderful. Or, have a guest who isn’t a drinker be the designated driver. I’m sure that everyone at the party will thank him/her on a job well done knowing that everyone was safe and arrived alive. Have the phone numbers of local taxi companies, or ride share companies readily available at your party.
Do NOT be afraid to cut somebody off or take away their keys
Your house. Your party. Your rules. If you’re the host serving beverages, you get to make the decisions on who gets another drink, and who doesn’t. There might come a point in the evening where somebody is getting a bit sloppy, and you can tell they’ve had enough. You have to have the courage to speak up and tell them that it might be a good idea to pass on the next beverage. Sitting by idly and doing or saying nothing is a receipt for disaster. That disaster might not happen to you; but it may happen to them, a friend, a loved one, or a perfect stranger. The guilt that you will have in not speaking up, or acting, will last a lifetime. Knowing that you could potentially be saving somebody’s life by enforcing some house rules will go a long way.
Don’t Hit up the Office Afterparty
This post relates specifically to the office party holiday party. I’ve been practicing law for over 20 years. I’ve been to office holiday party afterparties. I’ve also heard lots of stories from office holiday party after parties. There is an expression that nothing good happens after midnight. I can also tell you that nothing good will come from the office holiday party afterparty. It’s perfectly ok to pass on the office holiday after party, if once is going to happen. It will be sloppy and silly. Regretful things will be done and said. It won’t bring the office closer together. Rather, it’s a fertile breeding ground for bad things (and civil lawsuits against co-workers or even the employer). As an employee, if you put in your time at the office holiday party, that should be enough. If a potential promotion is dependent on you attending the office holiday party afterparty; then you should really re-examine your workplace. Workplace harassment and sexual assault claim? Office Holiday party or the office holiday party afterparty. Want to hear your boss or co-workers say some racist, or misogynist or bigoted comments? Try after a few drinks at the office holiday part or the after party. Once you hear or see people act in a certain way, or say something a certain way outside of work, you will never look at them the same way. Work will never be the same. It’s crazy because in some old school work places, an employees advancement was predicated on how hard and crazily they partied with their co-workers and superiors. Times have changed dramatically in this regard; although this culture still does exist in certain environments.
Do say “NO” if you are uncomfortable
The office holiday party is not meant to put you in an uncomfortable position. It’s intended to be a gathering to celebrate the holidays, and for the employer to thank their employees for their hard work. If find yourself being put into an awkward position at the office holiday party (peer pressure to drink to excess, or to take drugs), it’s ok to say “no“. Don’t compromise your morals and standards. This is not what you signed up for when you started working for this employer.
