The trouble with holiday office parties

Those holiday office parties are fun -- and increasingly troubling, said James Vagnini, a partner at Garden City-based Valli Kane & Vagnini, specialists in employment litigation.

Vagnini said that sexual harassment complaints double during the December-January period. During the rest of the year, Vagnini said, his firm receives 12 to 15 complaints a month regarding sexual harassment. The number grows to between 30 to 40 during the holiday season.

Despite all the publicity about the evils of such behavior, the incidents seem to be on rise, Vagnini said. The bad economy is partly to blame, he said. Employers or employees may feel subordinates or colleagues will put up with harassment in the workplace because other jobs are hard to come by, he said.

Vagnini said his firm also is seeing an increase in complaints from men who say they are being harassed by women.

Some hints to keep the lid on things: Parties are better held in daytime rather than evenings; spouses, girlfriends and boyfriends should be invited, and alcohol should be limited, if served at all.

"At some larger companies, higher-ups are not attending" parties, Vagnini said. "They're just holding parties for their employees."