How to Party Safely: Meeting Your Duty Under the Worker Protection Act
Work Christmas parties should be a celebration, not a compliance headache. But under the Worker Protection Act 2023, every employer now has a proactive duty to take reasonable steps to prevent harassment, even at work-related social events.
Whether it’s an off-site dinner or after-hours gathering, the same duty applies.
Here’s how to plan ahead, protect your people and keep the season positive for everyone.
Why festive events create compliance risk
Work parties are legally classed as work-related events, meaning employers can be vicariously liable for misconduct that occurs there (ACAS 2024).
1 in 10 UK employees are disciplined or dismissed after their Christmas party (The Manc 2024).
23 % of cases involve inappropriate comments, and 21 % involve physical altercations (The Manc 2024).
61 % of UK businesses spend more than £150 per head on parties (BrightHR 2023).
Almost one in three managers reported witnessing inappropriate behaviour or harassment at work parties (CMI survey 2023)
One in four UK employees experienced workplace conflict in the past year (CIPD Good Work Index 2024).
In short: Festive events aren’t risk-free rewards, they’re real-world tests of culture, behaviour, and leadership.
Reasonable steps in action: your 10-minute plan
Pre-event communication: Send a short reminder on respectful conduct and reporting options.
Alcohol awareness: Be explicit about limits and travel arrangements.
Bystander prompts: Encourage staff to step in or flag issues safely.
Named contacts: Have trained managers on site and clearly identified.
Post-event follow-up: Check in early and investigate any concerns.
Evidence everything: Save copies of your messages and responses as they are your “reasonable steps” proof.
What ‘good’ looks like under the WPA
Documented event risk assessment.
Pre-event staff communication kept on record.
Anonymous or named reporting options available 24 / 7.
Leadership visibly reinforcing inclusion and respect.
An audit trail showing issues raised, actions taken and dates.
Using imabi Pro to make prevention easy
Publish micro-guides (“Party-Safe Tips”) directly to staff phones.
Enable anonymous or named reports if something goes wrong.
Capture pre-event briefings, policy reminders and responses for an instant audit trail.
Export a WPA compliance report in minutes.
