The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has warned British businesses to cut down the amount of alcohol served at work social events to stop people from being inappropriate towards their colleagues.
The warning came after a new CMI poll found that a third of managers (29 per cent) have seen harassment or inappropriate behaviours at work parties, with women 26 per cent more likely to have witnessed it than men.
CMI is the professional body that focuses on management and leadership across the UK.
Its new poll surveyed over 1,000 managers and, according to the BBC, two in five employees (42 per cent) said work parties should be organised around activities that don’t involve alcohol. Those aged between 16 and 34 were seen to be the most likely to feel this way.
The Chief Executive Officer of the CMI, Ann Francke, said of the findings that socialising with colleagues was “a great team building opportunity” but that alcohol “doesn’t need to be the main event”. She said managers had to keep inappropriate behaviour in check.
Ms Francke added: “That might mean adding additional activities alongside alcohol, limiting the amount of drinks available per person, or ensuring that people who are drinking too much are prevented from acting inappropriately towards others.”
The findings and warning come after the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has been accused of misconduct and rape in recent years.
The first allegation of rape had come after its 2019 work party on a boat on the River Thames. The Guardian exclusively revealed the second allegation and said that another woman had said she was raped by two male colleagues while working for the CBI.
In April, the City of London police launched an investigation into a dozen women’s misconduct allegations against CBI managers.
