Employment Law Information

This article addresses a workplace issue many companies would rather ignore. However, like the 900lb gorilla in the room, it cannot be ignored. The subject is alcohol and companies parties. We are now entering the “silly season.” And for employees, it is prime time for employment lawsuits.

Tis’ The Season For Lawsuit

You know the old saying tis’ the season to be jolly? Well employment law attorneys have coined a new phrase concerning the holiday season. They say tis’ the season for lawsuits. And they are correct. This is the “silly season” for organizations around the country. As booze starts flowing, employees (including managers and supervisors) get loose with their tongue and loose with personal behavior. It is the perfect environment for lawsuits (in fact an entire season). For employment law attorneys it doesn’t get any better than this.

Want To Win A Lawsuit?

I have a saying that goes like this: if you want to win a lawsuit against an employer, get dressed up really nice (not even risqué), and go to a company party where they are serving liquor. I promise before the night is over, something will be said or done whereas you can file a lawsuit against that organization. And it seems the leaders of the organization are the worst offenders. Well guess what, leaders pose great danger to the company because not only should they know better, they are held to a higher standard in a court of law.

Another Old Saying

Have you ever heard that old saying; never drink alcohol during a business meeting? I am stunned at the number of people in the workplace today that have never heard this saying. Never drink alcohol during a business meeting. And most managers and supervisors forget that a company party is a “business meeting.” It is not to be used as a place to get into a drunken stupor, become a lady’s man, or spread insider gossip about things that never should be discussed in a public setting.

Company Parties Gone Wild

How many vivid images from company parties past, do we wish we could get out of our heads? Supervisors (male and female) so drunk they can hardly stand up; others who do all sorts of things they can’t even remember the next day; still others who make a pass at another employee’s spouse and causes an ugly fight and scene. And these are just the ones I can talk about in polite company. So, it’s not hard to imagine why employment law attorneys have a field day during this “silly” time of the year.

The Final Straw

The final straw that breaks the company’s back is the fact that technology has finally caught up with supervisors’ behavior. If all the bad behavior at the company party (induced by the consumption of alcohol) was not enough to sink the company, consider this; now every employee carries around with them an eyewitness to the crime. They have a cell phone with a camera. Absolute genius. So, this is how to win a lawsuit against a company in one easy step. My recommendation is to companies across the country; serve no alcohol at any company functions-none.

Summary

We are now entering the “silly season” of the year. The time of holiday parties, and heavy consumption of alcohol. For employees, it is prime time to file a lawsuits, and for employment law attorneys; tis the season for lawsuits. Company parties and alcohol combined create the perfect formula for litigation success. If companies want to steer clear of these dangerous seasonal lawsuits- they should not serve alcohol at their holiday parties.

© 2009 Cubie Davis King. All Right Reserved Internationally.

Dr. Cubie Davis King, PhD. is an adjunct professor at National University San Diego, CA in the School of Business, where he teaches Training and Development. His latest work is the Supervisor Core Training System 1.0 (SCTS 1.0). A complete boot camp series of employment law training for supervisors (new and tenured). To gain access this highly effective and engaging training system go to http://www.goldcrowninc.com

Dr. King is a Performance Technologist with a Ph.D in Training & Performance Improvement. His resume includes 9 years military service, and 12 years executive positions with Xerox & CitiGroup. For the past 13 years he has consulted with hundreds of companies on employment laws, and trained thousands of HR professionals in Live Seminars throughout the country. Dr. King has won top performance awards at every level of his storied career and is passionate about improving the performance of employees and business owners. Dr. King takes complicated yet sobering employment laws and makes them palatable and entertaining for everyone on your staff to understand. To book Dr. King for your next meting email him @ cubie@goldcrowninc.com

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Need more employment law help? Learn about other things employers do to get themselves sued. Get a copy of Work Laws Exposed. It’s written by an employment law attorney who has made it his mission to help employees sue employers who think they’re above the law.