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Tis the Season to be Cautious
December 1, 2006
Ogilvy Renault LLP offers advice on keeping the office party full of good cheer
What: The holiday season is fast approaching. Workers across the country are drawing names for office gift exchanges and receiving invitations to staff holiday parties.But as the holiday cheer begins to flow, employers will face a number of risks that can be contained with some extra planning.
- Be inclusive. Human rights legislation guides employers to keep religion out of the workplace. Whether it's calling the holiday celebration a Christmas party or forcing employees to decorate for the holidays against their religious beliefs, employers need to be sensitive to the diverse backgrounds and beliefs in their workplaces.
- Be responsible hosts: Employers who allow inebriated employees to drive home under the influence have been held liable for injury. Just offering taxi chits may not be enough to avoid problems. In two cases, the employer was held liable for the injuries incurred by an employee after she had left a second venue she attended after the work-sponsored holiday party.
- Be aware. A kiss under the mistletoe could be part of an ongoing problem of sexual harassment, and liability for sexual harassment doesn't stop at the office door. After-work celebrations should be considered work-related events by all involved.
Who: Lawyers from Ogilvy Renault's Employment and Labour Law Group are available to comment on the hazards of holiday entertaining for employers, drawing on many recent legal decisions.
About Ogilvy Renault
Ogilvy Renault is a full-service business law firm with more than 440 lawyers, patent and trade-mark agents practising in the areas of business, litigation, intellectual property, and employment and labour. Ogilvy Renault has offices in Montréal, Ottawa, Québec, Toronto, and London (UK), and serves some of the largest and most successful corporations in Canada, and in more than 120 countries worldwide. The firm was recently named Best Law Firm in Canada by The International Law Office.
Contacts
Peter Zvanitajs - Toronto
Senior Advisor, Media Relations
416.216.1871
pzvanitajs@ogilvyrenault.com
Joanne Lajeunesse - Montréal
Director, Marketing and Media Relations - Quebec Region
514.847.4723
jlajeunesse@ogilvyrenault.com
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