The Legal Right To Be Boring

• Published date: 06 December 2022
• Subject Matter: Corporate/Commercial Law, Employment and HR, Corporate and Company Law, Employee Rights/ Labour Relations
• Law Firm: Walkers
• Author: Mr Daniel Read

As we break into Christmas party season, no doubt your inbox will be flooded with the familiar dos and don'ts of Christmas parties that are usually trotted out this time of year.

But how about another angle? How about the approach to dealing with employees that don't enjoy parties, socialising or drinking?

There has been a really interesting case in France recently, where an employee, Mr T, was dismissed for failing to participate in the company's "fun" and "pro" values. This included compulsory after work drinks where excessive drinking was pushed onto staff, mock sexual acts, and requiring him to share a bed with a colleague (none of which sound fun to me). The court in France held that Mr T was unfairly dismissed.

We are certainly seeing a shift away from the one size fits all Christmas party and...