Will You Be Getting High at the Office Holiday Party?

As the holiday season approaches, a question keeps popping into my mind. Now that marijuana is legalized in Canada, will workplace holiday parties be including cannabis? Will people be stepping outside more often to light up during the festivities, or will some offices be serving up edibles as well as the usual mix of cocktails? And if these any of these things happen, how are the party dynamics likely to change?

In a recent article by Lisa Lagace in the online magazine, Pot Portal, the writer discusses the “do’s” and “don’ts” of lighting up at the holiday office party. The author’s “do’s” include “consider the corporate culture” and “be cautious when mixing alcohol with cannabis.”

Ms. Lagace’s “don’ts” include not feeling guilty if you decide to leave the party early and definitely not driving while impaired. She also recommends that you “don’t forget the eye drops” if you want to be discrete.

I think that advice Ms. Lagace’s advice makes sense, but I wonder how many people would be willing to risk getting high at the annual holiday party if their boss was standing just a few feet away.

Drinking and Getting High at Work

I’m someone who chooses not to drink alcohol at workplace parties because I would never feel comfortable being intoxicated in front of my supervisors. Getting high would be that much less predictable and therefore even more of a concern to me.

It’s very early days in terms of cannabis being legal. We have little-to-no experience with how office parties might change, once we start bringing cannabis into the mix.

Interestingly, in their corporate blog, Susan Crawford of Crawford, Chandon and Partners LLP recently wrote about the potential liabilities of including marijuana at workplace holiday parties.

According to Ms. Crawford, the addition of cannabis to the holiday party festivities could create one more layer of risk for the employer who’s holding the event.

I’m wondering how many employers would be comfortable offering a tray of edibles or vape pens at the annual holiday party if they weren’t sure how it would affect the behavior of their employees.

Workplace Gossip

I keep thinking about the stories that people tell in the days and weeks after holiday parties about their colleagues who got drunk and behaved badly. I can’t see this as ever benefitting one’s career.

I’m reminded of my very first holiday party as a psychiatry resident. I was seated at a long U-shaped table next to a fourth-year resident. This was a serious-looking young man who happened to be wearing a very nice suit.

At the party, this gentleman could not stop drinking wine; that is, until his chin flopped to his chest and he suddenly vomited into his lap. I looked on in horror. Luckily, the classmate who was sitting on his other side jumped up quickly and took the unfortunate young man away to get cleaned up.

That incident made quite an impression on me. Perhaps it’s one reason why I don’t drink at workplace holiday parties. I can’t help thinking about what might have happened if the chief of psychiatry had been privy to this scenario.

Another story that comes to mind is one I heard recounted on CBC radio soon after marijuana was legalized. It involved a party in which someone made a super-potent tray of pot brownies and didn’t warn the party-goers about what they were about to consume.

The guests who were familiar with cannabis were fine; but the novices were traumatized by the experience. If this had been a workplace party it could have been so much worse.

It’s a new world of legalized cannabis, and the best strategy in a new world is always to exercise caution. If you’re at a holiday party and people are stepping out to get high, you might want to consider how you’d feel if coming back in you walked right into your boss. How comfortable would you be making small-talk with him or her while in the throes of pot-induced paranoia?

As an employer, how much risk are you willing to bear? In the era of “me too” and “no more,” how comfortable are you holding an event where you allow two different behavioral disinhibitors to influence the actions of your staff?

There has been little research on the cumulative effects of marijuana plus alcohol. Do employers want to be on the hook for any untoward employee party behavior that arises out of such a potentially potent mélange?

In this light, I’ve made up my own list of “do’s” and “don’ts” around marijuana use at the holiday work party.

Do’s for staff:

a) Consider the impression you want to make.

Think about how your colleagues and supervisors are going to view you in the days and weeks after the party and let this guide your choices.

b) Err on the side of caution.

It’s always best to think twice, especially when considering trying new things or mixing marijuana with alcohol. You don’t want to have any regrets after the party.

Don’ts for staff:

a) Never put your career at risk for a party.

It makes no sense to jeopardize your career for the sake of some laughs. The workplace holiday party is as much a business event as it is a social one, so business decorum should always apply.

b) Be considerate of others.

Think about the effect your behavior might have on your colleagues or supervisors and avoid doing anything that could create embarrassment for you or difficulties for them after the fact.

Do’s for management:

a) Have party chaperones in place.

Putting designated people in place to monitor the behavior of the party-goers can help ensure that nothing untoward will happen.

b) Be prepared to send people home in a cab.

If someone’s behavior is getting out of control, this same chaperone can escort the person into a pre-paid cab.

Don’ts for management:

a) Think twice about providing edibles or vapers at the party.

Management will ultimately be responsible for the actions of all party attendees so it’s not a good business decision to incur even greater risk.

b) Never turn a blind eye to unacceptable party behavior.

It’s your legal and ethical responsibility to ensure the safety of all attendees at the holiday party.

It’s a competitive market-place these days and everyone is vying for recognition and advancement. Profit margins are slim and major companies are losing their market foothold.

Any error in judgment could mean the difference between a promotion and a pink slip, or between improved workplace productivity and an HR disaster.

A holiday party that includes alcohol is already a big enough pitfall for both management and staff. When we add cannabis to the mix, we’re getting into possibly dangerous unknown territory. At this year’s holiday party, it might be best to save the lighting up for the tree and encourage staff members to do their toking in the safety and comfort of their own home.

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