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I’m Elizabeth Schlissel. Welcome to Tannenbaum Helpern’s HR Minute. As the weather warms up and we head into the spring and summer months, many companies will be planning their summer outings. While HR usually has their guard up for the holiday party, not so much for the summer golf outing or picnic. When employees are out of the office at a summer event, and alcohol is served, they tend to forget about appropriate workplace behavior. This can lead to the “frat party mentality” where employees are making inappropriate jokes or comments at the summer outing. In order to prevent this type of behavior, which could lead to complaints of sexual harassment, or harassment based on other protected categories, employers should communicate what the employees’ expected appropriate behavior is at the event, before the event takes place. In addition, if alcohol is being served at the event, the employer should provide plenty of water and food to the employees. Lastly, the company should designate managers or supervisors who stay sober throughout the summer event, to monitor employee behavior and remove any misbehaving employees. The summer event should be a positive experience for all employees, and many employees look forward to the summer outing all year. Therefore, the summer event should not be mandatory. This is Elizabeth Schlissel, Tannenbaum Helpern.