Employee Party FAQs

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HR and Employment > Employee Party FAQs

Employee Party FAQs

Can my employer sack me for getting drunk at a Christmas party?

Any party organised by your employer is likely to be counted as an extension of the workplace. So, if you do something bad at a Christmas party then your employer may sack you for it. But, just getting drunk isn’t that bad, so it’s unlikely they’ll be able to fairly dismiss you just because you got drunk. This is especially so if they’ve paid for your drinks. Although getting drunk may not be a fair reason for dismissal, what you do when you’re drunk might be!

Can my employer sack me for being hungover?

If your employer reasonably believes that you’re hungover and can’t do your job, they may be able to suspend you on health and safety grounds and then dismiss you – depending on all the circumstances. But, if you’ve got drunk at one of their parties and your hangover is a result of this, it’s likely to be unreasonable for them to sack you. Afterall, they partly caused your hangover!

Can my employer sack me for being ill at a Christmas party?

Any work’s party, including a Christmas party, is likely to be counted as an extension of the workplace. So, if you do something bad at it, then your employer may sack you for it. But it’s unlikely they’ll be able to fairly dismiss you just because you get ill, as it’s probably not serious enough for that. This is especially the case if your employer has bought the drinks for you.

Are my colleagues allowed to take a photo of me being ill at a party?

On the whole UK law doesn’t prevent someone taking your photo. There’re some exceptions, for example if you’re in a place where you can expect a level of privacy such as a toilet. So, you can’t generally do much about it unless your colleague shouldn’t have taken the photo in the first place, in which case you can report the matter to your employer and also the police if you wish.

Can one of my colleagues post photos online of me being ill at a work’s party?

On the whole UK law doesn’t prevent someone taking your photo or posting it online. There’re some exceptions, for example if you’re in a place where you can expect a level of privacy such as a toilet. So, you probably can’t do much to stop your colleague posting a photo of you unless they shouldn’t have taken it in the first place, in which case you can report the matter to your employer and also the police if you wish.

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