A Festive Guide to Grievances
It’s that time of year again, Christmas lights, office decorations, Secret Santa, and, for many organisations, a noticeable spike in workplace grievances.
While the festive season is meant to bring people together, it can just as easily highlight tensions, miscommunication and behaviour which crosses the line, especially when parties and, undoubtedly, alcohol is involved.
So, what is a grievance, why do we see so many around this time of year, and why does it matter so much for employers to handle them well?
What exactly is a grievance?
In simple terms, a grievance is when an employee raises a concern, problem or complaint about something happening at work. It might be about how they’ve been treated, an issue with a colleague, worries about workload, or feeling that something simply isn’t fair.
Grievances can start informally, someone mentioning a concern to their manager, or they can be raised formally through a written process. Either way, it’s an employee saying, “Something isn’t right, and I need this to be taken seriously.”
Why do grievances often increase around Christmas?
The run-up to Christmas can be a perfect storm. Workloads rise as teams rush to hit end-of-year targets. People are juggling holiday plans, family pressure and tighter deadlines. Energy dips, tempers shorten, and the margin for misunderstandings gets a little wider. Combined with potential late nights and Christmas parties, emotions can begin to fray.
While most go smoothly, at JourneyHR we regularly see an increase in complaints linked to alcohol-fuelled behaviour, inappropriate comments, crossed boundaries, or disagreements that spill into the next working day. Even seemingly harmless banter can be interpreted very differently once the decorations come down.
It’s not unusual for HR teams to see a January spike in grievances that stem from festive events, social activities, or small issues that were bubbling quietly earlier in the year.
What do employers need to know?
Most employees don’t raise a grievance because they want drama, they raise one because they want fairness, clarity or simply to feel heard. Many just want reassurance that if something goes wrong, they won’t be ignored or punished for speaking up.
Employers should understand that a grievance is not about “getting someone in trouble.” It’s a legitimate process designed to help resolve issues, protect wellbeing and keep working relationships healthy.
The way an employer responds to a grievance says everything about the culture. When concerns are listened to and addressed quickly, trust grows. When they’re brushed aside, ignored or mishandled, problems tend to escalate, and often in ways that become costly, both financially and culturally.
Dealing with grievances properly can prevent small issues from turning into team-wide conflicts or legal headaches. It helps employees feel safe, respected and valued, especially at a time of year when emotions can run higher than usual. And for leaders, it’s an opportunity to model fairness, empathy and accountability.
What can you do to mitigate this during the festive season?
Grievances aren’t a sign of a failing workplace; they’re a sign that people care enough to speak up. The festive season may come with a few extra challenges, but it also gives employers a chance to strengthen communication, reinforce expectations and show employees that their wellbeing truly matters.
If you can create an environment where people feel comfortable raising concerns, and trust that you’ll handle them with professionalism and humanity, you’ll carry a stronger, healthier culture well into the new year. To do this I’d recommend hosting a company meeting before any Christmas events, reminding people of the expectations when it comes to parties, alcohol and safety. As part of this, ensure that escalation lines are communicated clearly, via the HR team, or line managers, as appropriate.
Signposting to your Employee Assistance Programme can also be beneficial at this time of year, when wellbeing and mental health can take a dip, as can reminding people if you have trained mental health first aiders in the office.
As you may be aware, new sexual harassment legislation came in to force last October and it’s now mandatory to provide all employees with training to help prevent this at work, ever more important during the festive season. We offer some very cost-effective solutions in this space, from e-learning modules through to in-person session, to suit every budget, and there is still time to run a workshop in December ahead of your Christmas party to ensure that you are complying with the new legislation.
Finally, if an employee does raise a concern, please take this seriously. We can support with running internal investigations and managing the process end-to-end, offering an impartial and balanced view to guide your next steps, HERE.