The Holiday Party

It’s that time of year again.  A festive spirit is in the air, despite the fact that Cyber Monday week is behind us and the oft-dreaded holiday party is fast approaching.  How you handle yourself at an office event could help or hinder your career.

For most of us, the first thing that comes to mind about past holiday parties is the colleague who drank too much.  Even though it’s called a party, it’s really a work situation and you should conduct yourself accordingly.

Most experts recommend only 1-2 drinks over the course of the night.  Since you might end up being at the party longer than you think (e.g., more than a couple of hours), be sure to pace yourself, taking your alcohol tolerance and how much food you’ve eaten into account. A few too many drinks can lead to impaired cognition and saying things against your better judgment.

While the party might feel more sociable and casual than a typical day at work, keep in mind that you’re spending an evening with work colleagues.  Even if you are “friends,” you have to act differently (i.e., business-like, appropriately) with them in this setting.  You also need to dress correctly.  Resist the temptation to show too much personality, as your peers and superiors will all judge how you look and conduct yourself.

Having said that, this is an occasion to be sociable, to get to know each other better/beyond your regular work relationship.  So before heading to the party, think of a few general, interesting or fun topics.  No one will want conversations to default to work-related subjects.  (This is not the setting to voice your opinion on how some business operations in the company can be improved, for example.) This is supposed to be a fun party, after all!  Plan to ask other people questions about their interests and hobbies, for instance; listen to their answers, keep conversation light and others in the spotlight.

When first arriving at the party, and again on departure, make sure to greet and thank your superiors — to be polite and demonstrate some basic social skills, and leave a positive last impression. Your superiors want a casual, sociable event just as much as anyone else.  The only difference is that they’re probably also anxious that the event go smoothly.

If you are a high ranking employee at your organization, be aware that all eyes will be on you throughout the event. More importantly, take the following steps to minimize your organization’s legal exposure:

• Send a memo to all employees before the party. Remind them that even though the event may be off-site or after normal work hours, normal compliance with company policies is still expected. End the memo with, “Remember to act professionally, and have fun! I look forward to seeing you all there.”
• If your organization decides to serve alcohol (and remember, it is the company’s choice), assume responsibility and make sure your employees drink responsibly. In many states, the host can be held liable if, for example, a guest who drinks at their party subsequently drives under the influence and causes an accident that injures him- or herself or others.
  • Hire bartenders and allocate drink tickets. A bartender acts as a gatekeeper who ensures that employees can’t over-serve themselves and can “cut off” employees who appear impaired.  Limiting the number of free drinks using drink tickets can decrease your liability, as employees will better monitor themselves:  they will be aware of how much they are consuming, and will have to pay for subsequent drinks.
  • Provide employees with a wide array of things to eat and drink, including non-alcoholic beverages. Drinking on a non-empty stomach will decrease the effects of alcohol, and an abundance of appealing non-alcoholic alternatives will give employees a means of re-hydration.
  • Prearrange car-pooling with designated drivers or provide taxis. As a last resort, inform your employees that if they need help, you can provide them with a safe ride home.  That costs a lot less than having an employee hurt him- or herself (or others) behind the wheel.
• Enforce all company policies as usual. Even if the event is off-site or after normal work hours, strict compliance with harassment and other code of conduct policies should always be expected.

Follow this advice and there’s no reason your holiday event can’t be enjoyable for you and everyone else.  And remember why your firm is doing this in the first place: to acknowledge and thank everyone, boost morale, and strengthen relationships with fellow employees.

Personal Hygiene in the Workplace

Getting along with everyone in the office can be a difficult task sometimes, but we are flexible creatures, we learn to adjust and can usually maintain a productive and confrontation-free work environment. Of course even the most passive employees can be driven to their wits’ ends by something;  for me, it is personal hygiene. While it seems like basic etiquette for people to be aware of the impression they’re making, it is a fact that we all smell to a certain extent and some people smell more than others. We  are not able to smell ourselves very well because we adjust to most smells pretty quickly.

Anyway, it’s not surprising that some of us have encountered a co-worker who for some reason has a really smell bad. Too much of a good smell can be a bad thing, it’s true (think gardenia or bubble gum), but there are also people with no good smell at all — just varying amounts of bad. It could be due to warm weather or diet, to illness, personal hygiene and/or even cultural differences. Obviously, bringing up this subject with your cube mate would be embarrassing for both of you, so if a coworker’s smell is affecting your ability to do your work properly, it is probably best to inform your supervisors.  Let them deal with the situation appropriately.

The conversation will be embarrassing for a supervisor as well, but hygiene is often considered part of the dress code. Most private companies have policies that govern workplace attire and comportment, and offensive body odor may violate these rules. The discussion should be sensitive and concise, private and confidential. Don’t be confrontational, and be prepared for a negative reaction from the employee. As supervisor you need to sort out whether the odor is something the employee can control and whether or not he or she is aware of it. The person could have a medical condition and legitimate claim to protection under the Americans With Disabilities Act,  be displaying a strong sense of entitlement, or passive-aggressive behavior. The New York Times has an article to help you work with this employee.

Have a discussion in private and first try to figure out whether simple bathing can and will resolve the situation. Tremendous hostility will be a signal that personnel needs to become involved. Check out iWorkwell’s large array of articles on dress code that can help you have this conversation with an employee, while staying in the boundaries of the law.

Navigating the Salary Negotiation

In a tough economic climate, when it’s difficult for many people to even find a job, employees are understandably cautious about asking for more at their current job. As a employer you want to attract top talent, and you wish to reward employees for excellent work because you appreciate the costs of  staff turnover, but at the same time you’re under budget constraints. There are two sides to salary negotiation so we’ve got advice for both employers and employees.

Check out the Evil HR Lady‘s tips on salary negotiation for employees. The conventional wisdom “he who speaks first looses” doesn’t hold true for everyone. Employees fearful of speaking up and taking control of their careers may have no one else to look out for them. Instead of gradually losing enthusiasm for their jobs, they could consider requesting a discussion about their salaries anyway, but ask for meaningful benefits that don’t include monetary compensation, for example, or for permission to telecommute on certain days.

On the flip side iWorkwell cautions employers to approach salary negotiations with a win-win mindset. Taking a “take it or leave it approach” will sour employees and stall productivity. Be sympathetic to an employee’s goal of higher compensation, but try to widen the focus to the long term/bigger picture. Steer the conversation to be more about the job itself and what it entails, the opportunities for advancement, and the possible renegotiation of benefits packages. Approach the discussion with an open mind, prepared to be flexible.