If you're like my company, you've just had or are getting ready to have your Christmas function. The type of function you have probably depends on the culture of your company, which can be related to the type of business you are in, the philosophy of your leaders, etc.
Whether you have a function on-site or off-site, with just employees attending or significant others
invited, one call you have to make is whether alcohol is involved. Back in the old days, everybody had about 5-10 belts in a three-hour perod - no limited number of drink tickets for the old school crowd. Looking back, you wonder how your parents survived driving home from some of those parties. Maybe you're thinking the same thing about yourself.
ESPN is reported to be straddling the fence related to their Christmas functions. The rumor from Deadspin:
"The ESPN Holiday party is this Thursday, and for the first time ever, no hard liquor will be served ... that's the strong rumor anyway. Beer & wine only. The general feeling is that it's all a part of Skippers "cost saving" initiatives.
It probably is. The "official story" is that there were fights at last years party, and they want to keep everyone cool. whatever. no mixed drinks, just Smirnoff ices. Nothing like rewarding people for working at a lower pay of rate (sic) for the "honor" of working for the WWL."
For most of us risk management types, the primary issue is liability, not cost control. Still, I believe the cost control logic is the reason for no hard liquor at their party, if the rumor is true, since simply eliminating one type of alchohol is not going to protect you in any litigation of note. After all, if a cameraman at ESPN knocks back 15 Rolling Rocks, and as a result, gets involved in a DUI that involves multiple fatalities, does the judge care that he couldn't get a Jack Daniels and Coke?
Even if your company has an off-site party, you still have to decide whether to go, and of course, what to wear - Like my man the Grinch below....
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