Workplace parties and events are notorious for facilitating unwelcome sexual attention, predominantly from male colleagues. And no time has more workplace parties than the holidays. A recent poll conducted by ABC News and the Washington Post found that 54 percent of women reported experiencing unwanted sexual advances from men, and three in 10 women say that unwanted attention came from a coworker.

And workplace parties, often involving alcohol in excess, are even more conducive to sexual harassment. In fact, according to a survey by Chicago-based consulting company Challenger, Gray & Christmas, only 49 percent of companies plan to serve alcohol at their holiday events. Last year that number was 62 percent, the highest number in the decade the firm has run its survey. The number had been going up each year as the economy improved, until this year due to what many are deeming “the Weinstein effect”.

Often times, this “unacceptable behavior” is presumed to be just another seasonal excess, so to say, which is what makes it even more dangerous. “People tend to feel more comfortable away from the workplace,” Tracy Billows, a Chicago-based labor and employment lawyer specializing in sexual harassment says. “The lines are blurred, and management and employees begin to convince themselves,  ‘I’m at a social gathering. The rules don’t apply anymore.’”

So how do you deal with this volatile cocktail of holiday expectations, institutional power relations and the widespread problem of workplace sexual harassment – without spoiling the party or making things with your coworkers uncomfortable? The answer will be different for everyone.

For some, the best approach might be to attack it head on. Sometimes, subtlety doesn’t work. So tell the person who is harassing you to stop. Tell them it makes you uncomfortable. Tell them that you don’t find the behavior acceptable. A lot of the time, people will discontinue their inappropriate behavior if they are called out on it directly.

Also, pay attention to your fellow female coworkers. If you notice your harasser exhibiting the same type of behavior with another woman, perhaps you two can join together to figure out the best way to handle the situation.

In a similar vein, stick by your friends. Having other coworkers nearby may discourage sexual harassment. And if the harassment still occurs, you’ll have witnesses to stand up for you in the event that the harassment continues. Because of course if the unacceptable behavior doesn’t stop, or if it gets worse in any way, you should file a report on the harasser.

And if you’re the boss and you want to prevent any form of sexual harassment at your upcoming work event, Billows has a few suggestions. In regards to alcohol, consider handing out a limited number of drink tickets instead of having an open bar. Designate certain members of your staff to keep an eye out for uncomfortable interactions or inappropriate behavior. And make a company statement, brief but firm, just before the festivities regarding a zero tolerance for sexual harassment. And if any employee chooses to ignore the warning? “They have to fire that person,” Billows says. “That’s the only thing a harasser will understand. It’s got to cost him his job.”

But also note that companies concerned about sexual misconduct need to look further than the holiday party. While there can be more complications associated with a holiday event, that’s only one day a year. The zero tolerance of sexual harassment, and the creation of a respectful and comfortable environment for all employees, must extend far beyond that.

By: Cianna Allen