The Rules Are Changing. Are You?

Company holiday parties are an important place for coworkers to bond and get to know each other outside of the work environment. But this year, scrutiny of everyone’s behavior is more intense. It’s important to keep in mind that not all harassment is sexual or physical. Here are some other behaviors to stay away from.

• Avoid dirty jokes, hair color jokes, ethnic and gender-based jokes and slurs, stereotyping or overgeneralizing. Don’t be the one to set your company’s brand and workplace diversity efforts back 20 years.
• Watch the trash talk. Don’t trash the competition, the people who aren’t there or who are out of earshot. You never know who’s listening or what the connections are between people.
• No complaining about the boss, work or co-workers, either.
• If you need to end conversations gracefully, have an exit line ready, like “Hope you enjoy the holiday season,” or “Nice talking with you.” Then, move on.