Company Sponsored Holiday Celebrations

Mike Mitchell, a partner in the New Orleans office, was interviewed on WWL-TV Eyewitness Morning News on November 28 in a segment about holiday office parties. Company sponsored holiday celebrations can boost morale and reward hard working employees, but they can also pose potential legal hazards for employers, particularly if they plan to serve alcohol. Mike advised employers to also have nonalcoholic beverages available and to use the services of a professional bartender. He said one of the worst things a company can do is use their own supervisors as the bartenders. If someone is served too much alcohol, there is a legal liability. "If there's a professional, he knows when to cut people off and it's a lot easier for a professional bar tender to say you've had too much than for a supervisor who is going to work with that person." Mike also spoke about this topic on WVUE Fox 8 on December 9.