Safe Ways to Celebrate Your Office Christmas Party
The festive season is fast approaching and as states across Australia reach their vaccination milestones and restrictions begin to ease, in-person Christmas parties are on the cards! So, while this year’s office Christmas celebrations may look a little different post-lockdown, it’s still possible to inject some fun into end-of-year celebrations without putting any of your staff at risk.
Take Your Event Outside
This is the safest option, given most coronavirus infections are contracted in indoor spaces, where air currents mean that people generally end up breathing in other people’s exhaled air, even with physical distancing and air conditioning.
Physical distancing is still important, even outdoors and the ground rules for the event should make it clear that anyone who is unwell, particularly anyone with any respiratory symptoms such as a cough or cold must not to attend.
Hand sanitising stations should be readily accessible, and any hand hygiene risks anticipated and avoided as far as reasonably practicable.
Keep Your Event Small
The scale, nature and venue for your event should be chosen in the light of the local situation and keeping in mind the amount of people work at the company. Find out whether you’ll need a COVIDSafe plan, check maps of hot spots for active cases in the areas of potential venues, and make your plans accordingly.
Numbers of people attending will have to be within the allowable limits. Check your local health department to find out what restrictions apply in your area. An alternative to keep your Christmas party small is splitting into your designated teams or departments, so no one misses out on any Christmas celebrations.
COVIDSafe Plan and Use of Contact Tracing
As COVID-19 restrictions are eased and employees around the country return to work, businesses continue to play a vital role in keeping the pandemic under control. Creating a COVIDSafe plan will help to:
- Complete a risk assessment.
- Implement prevention practices.
- Prepare to respond to an infection.
In addition, businesses and hosting venues are to keep a record of everyone attending, the name, phone number, the date and time they attended the venue.
This information is important for contact tracing in case it later emerges someone at the event subsequently tested positive for coronavirus and may have passed on the virus without realising it.
Create A Virtual Celebration
A solution for some businesses may be a hybrid event where some employees are on site and others join in via Zoom, Microsoft Teams or other platforms. Companies across the globe have survived this year as a team, what better way to finish and celebrate with a fun online activity! With multiple online business’ having curated engaging and interactive events the team can experience together online. This is an ideal way to include vulnerable individuals who may be at risk, for whatever reason.
As long as your Christmas party is safe for everyone, any kind of celebration can be a positive influence on workplace morale and a well-deserved relief, after such a difficult year.
