12 risks of Xmas | no. 5

On the 5th day of Christmas... your office was a wreck

Having a staff party is an essential part of a company culture, but so is having a functioning office. Overenthusiastic team members may be too eager to turn the office into a dance floor, which may not end well for the office itself, let alone their reputations. Taking everything into account, it's no wonder that companies tend to hire an external venue for the office party fun.

What's at risk?

With claims, adjusting expenses, and lawyers fees, the commercial insurance property market spent over £3bn in 2018. Now, we don't have a month-by-month breakdown, but we can assume there is a good chance the majority of that was caused by rather high-spirited staff behaviour. Laptops become a beer pong collateral, while office chair races leave no casters safe.

How to avoid it?

Taking the party outside of the workplace premises is always a good idea, particularly, if your team is known for their ability to have a good time. Let the drinks flow freely away from your company property and the dancing occur on a proper dance floor rather than your desks. However, it never hurts to have a troubleshooting plan - insuring your contents and equipment with accurate cover will give you the bliss if anything does go wrong.

Read about the 6th risk of Christmas.