Christmas Party follies
Christmas may be the season to be jolly, but it is not the season for inappropriate behaviour, according to a survey conducted by MSI Legal & Accounting.
The survey of more than 750 Australian and New Zealand businesses conducted in the first week of December showed that companies had become increasingly worried about the potential for inappropriate behaviour at office Christmas parties.
The results showed that more than half the companies surveyed were now providing a written reminder as to what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate behaviour.
The survey analysis said that underlining the state of unease, almost 70 per cent of respondents confirmed their 2007 events were being held during the day in 2007, up from 50 per cent last year.
Commenting on the survey outcome, MSI Legal & Accounting spokesperson Charles Hornor said that daytime events were seen as generating more responsible consumption of alcohol, reducing the likelihood of inappropriate behaviour.
Key findings of the 2007 MSI Legal & Accounting Christmas Functions Survey included the fact that: 68 per cent of businesses will hold a daytime function against 50 per cent of businesses in 2006, only 4 per cent of businesses pointed to ‘budget availability’ as a factor influencing their decisions to hold Christmas functions in 2007, down from 9 per cent in 2006 — representing a fall of over 50 per cent, and 24 per cent of businesses will spend $10,000 or more in 2007, up from 16 per cent in 2006.
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