Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

HR practice

Spotlight on…summer parties

by Personnel Today 25 Jul 2006
by Personnel Today 25 Jul 2006

Some employees relish them; others wouldn’t touch them with a bargepole. But staff summer parties are often a familiar feature on the corporate calendar.

Organising a get-together before staff go away on holiday is an effective way of teambuilding or welcoming new people to the business, says Alastair Scott, sales and marketing director at corporate events company Sodexho Prestige, which hosts annual barbeques for clients such as the BBC and Royal & SunAlliance.

Yet deciding whether to invite partners as well as staff, and finding a tactful way to control any drunken behaviour, can be a thorny issue.

Family affair?

“If staff want a company-only party, make it straight after work and don’t expect them to dress up for it,” Scott says.

“If your employees have been working hard and you want to thank partners and families for their patience, either make it an informal weekend event with a bouncy castle for the kids and a barbeque, or opt for a formal occasion and give people the opportunity to dress up.”

Scott believes that the presence of outsiders at a company event tends to make for a calmer atmosphere, but says that organisations with a predominantly young workforce prefer to socialise without colleagues’ partners looking on.

Martin Symes is HR manager at IT components firm PCT, where a strictly no-partners rule is observed.

He says: “Most of my employees are in their early twenties. The presence of too many husbands and wives would simply put a damper on the occasion.”

If drunken behaviour threatens to ruin an event, Scott advises direct action.

“Unlike Christmas parties, where the alcohol tends to be largely spirit-based, Pimm’s and lemonade or an alcohol fruit cup are the most popular choices for summer, so the strength of drinks is easier to control,” he advises.

“If the behaviour of your staff becomes riotous or aggressive as the evening wears on, water down the alcohol in the punch, serve only soft drinks, or make an excuse to temporarily close the bar,” he adds.

Although the likes of Blenheim Palace, Kew Gardens and Knebworth House – among the top choices for corporate shindigs this summer – have undoubted attractions, the whole notion of an office knees-up can still be a turn-off for some.

Listen to your staff

“Some people simply hate the idea of staff functions and if too many of your employees decide not to turn up, the whole event will fall flat on its face,” says Scott.

“My advice is to listen to what your staff tell you about their preferences for this year’s party and, if possible, survey them after the event.

“There’s nothing worse than organising a lovely day for your staff and then only a handful of them turning up. Ensuring people actually want to attend your ‘do’ should always be a major consideration,” he adds.

Party planning – top tips



  • Avoid fancy dress or a strict dress code.
  • Don’t bore the staff with too many speeches.
  • There’s a fine line between letting your hair down and indecent conduct, which could land you in court.

Avatar
Personnel Today

previous post
One in 50 Scottish police officers on long-term sick leave
next post
Civil service staff cuts: Home Office ‘directors cut’ fails to materialise

You may also like

Lack of flexibility pushes half of women to...

16 May 2022

Queen’s Speech: Exclusivity contracts for low-paid workers to...

9 May 2022

Are we happy now? New research Sugar-coats working...

6 May 2022

Alan Sugar calls PwC Friday afternoons off a...

6 May 2022

Bank holidays: six things employers need to know

20 Apr 2022

HR in the 21st century: Tracie Sponenberg talks...

1 Apr 2022

Work in the metaverse: what should HR prepare...

1 Apr 2022

How hybrid working boosts recruitment but not retention

18 Mar 2022

How should HR approach sabbatical requests?

21 Feb 2022

Storm Eunice forces millions to work from home

18 Feb 2022
  • Apprenticeships are the solution to your recruitment problems PROMOTED | Apprenticeships have the pulling power...Read more
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more
  • Why now is the time to plug the unhealthy gap PROMOTED | We’ve all heard the term ‘health is wealth’...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+