This Christmas is the first one for three years where we feel free of the pandemic restrictions and more likely to throw an end-of-year Christmas party for the staff.
Why is this dangerous for small-business owners?
Following a period of sanitized socializing during the pandemic there is greater positive anticipation by everyone to relax and enjoy the camaraderie of socializing with work colleagues – this should be a great opportunity for workplace bonding, right?
However, in a small business where there are fewer staff, closer interactions with the team are essential every day. If it’s a husband-and-wife business then it is easy to become quite attached to a particular staff member who is doing their job well and relieving the owners of all that pressure and stress. Bonding is common in these small businesses even without the Christmas party.
As the bonding feels comforting and reassuring it is tempting to be cheeky now and again with that close team member or they with the owner and then the cheekiness can quickly become unnoticed flirtation.
This is particularly perilous if there is tension between the husband-and-wife business owners which is clearly obvious to all. It’s hard to hide when they are bickering in front of staff because premises are small, there is not much privacy. The partner who is close to a particular staff member might feel tempted to vent to that staff member, this draws them even closer.
Then at the work Christmas party those few drinks to loosen up bring out that spark between that owner and the close staff member. This doesn’t go unnoticed.
In fact, if other staff are there they all notice it. It can be the start of the downhill highway to hell, catapulting the owners’ relationship into mayhem, turning their lives upside down. Especially if the pressures of the business has killed the spark between the husband-and-wife owners and things have been bad on the intimacy side at home.
So much is at stake and it can all be ruined over what seems minor. But it’s not minor as the repercussions are significant.
In a small family business this display of flirting and cheekiness can be the ruin of the owners’ relationship, which, if it leads to divorce, the ruin of the business follows, not to mention the breakdown of their family.
At the other end, that outstanding competent staff member will have to go and the ramifications in the workplace rules of letting that person go are hefty.
Every year, with the exception of COVID Christmases, a flood of requests from business owners rushes in for urgent help due to an upheaval sparked off at a Christmas party. Their grief is palpable once they realise what floodgates of pain they have opened. Their regret is indescribable.
Advice
This is about the Christmas party being for the team to celebrate the year and unwind together. It is about maintaining dignity as the leaders of the team, setting an example and showing gratitude for all their endeavours. Even if there have been upheavals within earshot of staff during the year that doesn’t need to show at your Christmas party.
My advice is firstly to present as a close-knit couple with a strong connection so everyone feels secure in their job and maintains their company allegiance for the coming year.
Secondly, ask yourself the crucial question of how your workplace behaviour is perceived by your staff. If your sense is that you are taking friendliness too far then ask yourself if you truly know the mess you could be creating in several or many people’s lives then do what you need to do to prevent it.
