{"id":14943,"date":"2004-07-29T06:10:00","date_gmt":"2004-07-29T06:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/?post_type=resources&#038;p=14943"},"modified":"2026-07-27T10:47:08","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T10:47:08","slug":"acceptable-conduct-at-office-parties-and-work-socials","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/bullying-harassment\/acceptable-conduct-at-office-parties-and-work-socials\/","title":{"rendered":"How to ensure acceptable conduct at office parties and other work-related social events"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b5fc8583 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7fc3d43a wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:70%\">\n<p class=\"\">By <strong><strong>Claire Birkinshaw<\/strong><\/strong><br>Brightmine editor: <strong>Susie Munro<\/strong>, Senior Legal Editor<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Maintaining appropriate conduct at office parties and work\u2011related social events is essential for protecting both employees and employers\u2014and HR plays a crucial role in setting the tone. While these events are valuable opportunities to strengthen relationships, boost morale, and celebrate success, they also present heightened risks around misconduct, harassment, and breaches of workplace policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">For HR teams, ensuring that expectations are clear and behaviour remains professional is vital to reducing legal exposure, safeguarding employee wellbeing, and maintaining a positive organisational culture. Without clear guidance, issues arising from alcohol consumption, inappropriate behaviour, or blurred professional boundaries can quickly escalate into formal complaints or reputational damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Our guide provides HR professionals with practical, compliant strategies for defining acceptable conduct, preparing employees ahead of events, managing risks on the day, and responding effectively when problems occur\u2014helping you create enjoyable, safe, and inclusive workplace socials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In this guide, learn about:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Understand vicarious liability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Understand the importance of taking steps to prevent harassment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Implement a policy on conduct at work-related social events<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Carry out a risk assessment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Choose an appropriate venue or activity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Consider monitoring and supervision<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Review the event and take action where necessary<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Want to see more?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">For full access to <strong>How to ensure acceptable conduct at office parties and other work-related social events<\/strong>, sign up to a HR and Compliance Centre subscription today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\/uk\/quote\/?intcmp=hrcc-migrated-resource|quote|request-a-quote\" style=\"border-radius:25px\">Request a quote<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column lnrs-hide-block-on-mobile is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-left-color:var(--wp--preset--color--secondary-gray);border-left-width:2px;padding-left:10px;flex-basis:30%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained wp-container-2 is-position-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-secondary-gray-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0b691c38 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:1rem;padding-top:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:15px\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Latest updates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Updated to reflect the&nbsp;duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, which is in force from 26 October 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-bleach-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-a36fa716 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:14px;padding-top:10px;padding-right:15px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:15px\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Navigate HR complexity with confidence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">With Brightmine, you can build powerful people strategies, implement best practices and set your organisation up for a brighter future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Learn how our tools, resources and automation can empower you and your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\/uk\/solutions\/?intcmp=cta|blog|solutions|learn-more\" style=\"border-radius:25px\">Learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group lnrs-hide-block-on-mobile has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ad1af2a0 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-secondary-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-secondary-gray-background-color has-background\" style=\"margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Read more articles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-query is-layout-flow wp-block-query-is-layout-flow\"><ul class=\"wp-block-post-template is-layout-flow wp-container-core-post-template-is-layout-ea1fff98 wp-block-post-template-is-layout-flow\"><li class=\"wp-block-post post-18010 resources type-resources status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry category-c-and-i topic-employee-wellbeing\">\n<h2 style=\"font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3;text-decoration:underline; margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;\" class=\"has-link-color wp-elements-0b1b36f3c2dfa7682bfd13b67e3228a9 wp-block-post-title has-text-color has-primary-black-color\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/total-rewards\/employee-wellbeing\/summer-2026-eight-potential-issues-for-hr\/\" target=\"_self\" >Summer 2026: Eight potential issues for HR<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-14478 resources type-resources status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry category-c-and-i topic-immigration\">\n<h2 style=\"font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3;text-decoration:underline; margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;\" class=\"has-link-color wp-elements-0b1b36f3c2dfa7682bfd13b67e3228a9 wp-block-post-title has-text-color has-primary-black-color\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/immigration\/right-to-work-checks-requirements-and-pitfalls\/\" target=\"_self\" >Right to work checks &#8211; requirements and pitfalls<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-12558 resources type-resources status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry category-blogs topic-bullying-harassment topic-dei topic-hr-compliance topic-policies\">\n<h2 style=\"font-size:clamp(14px, 0.875rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 0.274), 16px);line-height:1.3;text-decoration:underline; margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;\" class=\"has-link-color wp-elements-0b1b36f3c2dfa7682bfd13b67e3228a9 wp-block-post-title has-text-color has-primary-black-color\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/bullying-harassment\/anti-harassment-and-anti-bullying-policy\/\" target=\"_self\" >Anti-harassment and anti-bullying policy<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4b7a3f7f wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You may also be interested in&#8230;<\/h2>\n\n\n<section id=\"resources-search-filter\" class=\"wp-elements-fddff08b67d2d06b6ca302e616d5661f wp-block-brightmine-resources-filter has-text-color has-primary-black-color has-background has-primary-white-background-color\">\n\n\n<div class=\"ajax-filter\">\n<div class=\"lnrs-resources-search-filter  editor-posts-filtered-topics \">\n\t\t<div class=\"search_terms_bottom\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"bottom_left\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"search_terms_result_count\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"bottom_right\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"loader-container\">\n\t\t<span class=\"loader\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"lnrs-resource-filter-widget__container\">\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-5fb0786f wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fcdab8bb wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-topics-on-this-page\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:500\">Topics on this page<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n\n<div class=\"taxonomy-topic has-link-color wp-elements-5ec59eb01c09ec2f1d84a6b36973ff83 wp-block-post-terms\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/uk\/resources\/hr-compliance\/bullying-harassment\/\" rel=\"tag\">Bullying and harassment<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cararra-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-cararra-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-about-the-authors\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:500\">About the authors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100px\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized is-style-rounded\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/18071358\/susie-munro.webp\" alt=\"Susie Munro, Senior legal editor at Brightmine\" class=\"wp-image-8938\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:100px;height:100px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/18071358\/susie-munro.webp 800w, https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/18071358\/susie-munro-300x300.webp 300w, https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/18071358\/susie-munro-150x150.webp 150w, https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/09\/18071358\/susie-munro-768x768.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Susie Munro<\/strong><br>Senior Legal Editor, Brightmine<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Susie has over 20 years&#8217; experience as a solicitor, writer and legal editor. She is responsible for the Brightmine How to guides and FAQs and also works on the Employment law cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Susie joined the Brightmine editorial team in 2009 having previously worked for Age Concern England, where she advised on and wrote about age discrimination and mandatory retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">After obtaining an LLB in law from Sussex University, then completing the Legal Practice Course at Bournemouth University, Susie qualified as a solicitor in 2004. She specialised in employment law, working in private practice for a firm in Birmingham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Connect with Susie on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/susie-munro-60889680\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cararra-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-cararra-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-658170e2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100px\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized has-custom-border is-style-rounded\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.brightmine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/01\/13144636\/speaker-avatar.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14506\" style=\"border-radius:25px;object-fit:cover;width:100px;height:100px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"\"><strong>Claire Birkinshaw<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Claire Birkinshaw has worked at two of the top 10 London law firms, as a legal adviser to the Ministry of Defence, and as a legal information manager with Abbey Legal Protection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A practical HR guide to ensuring professional behaviour at work socials and preventing issues related to harassment, or inappropriate conduct.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":14947,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"wp-custom-template-new-resources","categories":[12],"tags":[],"topic":[67],"class_list":["post-14943","resources","type-resources","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides-how-to","topic-bullying-harassment"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to ensure acceptable conduct at office parties and other work-related social events | Brightmine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"HR tips for promoting appropriate conduct at workplace socials and avoiding situations that could lead to complaints or legal claims.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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