World Cup Watch Parties and Workplace Happy Hours: Steps to Keep the Fun Low-Risk

The FIFA World Cup is a widely celebrated and watched sporting event, and therefore a natural impetus for employers to bring employees together. A lunchtime watch party, afternoon social hour, or after-work happy hour can be great opportunities to boost morale and build camaraderie.

When workplace events involve a combination of alcohol, sports, national pride, and socializing, California employers should take a few simple steps to keep the event fun and inclusive while minimizing legal risk.

1. Keep Attendance Voluntary

The easiest way to reduce risk is to make attendance truly voluntary. Employees should not feel pressured to attend, and attendance should not be tied to team participation, performance assessments, or influence perceptions of whether an employee is a good “culture fit.”

Voluntary attendance also helps avoid wage-and-hour complications. This is especially important for nonexempt employees. If attendance is required or strongly encouraged, the time may become compensable. Employers should additionally avoid mandatory announcements, training, or work-related discussions during the event.

2. Keep the Focus on the Game, Not the Drinks

At workplace happy hours, alcohol is often the biggest risk factor. California employers should be mindful that while California law generally limits social host liability for furnishing alcohol to adults, that protection does not eliminate all potential employer-related claims arising from an employer-sponsored event.

For example, an employer may still face claims based on workplace-related conduct or negligent supervision if alcohol consumption occurs in connection with an employer-sponsored event and an employee later causes harm.

Employers can reduce risk by using drink tickets, limiting the length of alcohol service, providing food, offering appealing nonalcoholic options, using a licensed venue or professional bartender, prohibiting outside alcohol, and making rideshare or safe transportation options available.

The goal is to create a team-building event centered on the World Cup, not a drinking event that happens to include soccer.

3. Remember: Workplace Policies Apply Beyond the Office

Employer-sponsored events are still connected to the workplace. Anti-harassment, anti-discrimination, anti-retaliation, and respectful workplace policies still apply, even if the event is off-site or after hours.

World Cup events can bring out intense national pride and friendly rivalries. That can be fun, but employers should be alert to comments or jokes that could reasonably be viewed as offensive or discriminatory, as well as any inappropriate remarks based on national origin, ancestry, race, ethnicity, accent, immigration status, or other protected characteristics. Even off-site, after-hours conduct can create workplace issues if it affects the work environment.

A light reminder before the event can help: “Please keep the event respectful so everyone can enjoy it.”

4. Make It Inclusive

Not everyone follows soccer. Not everyone can stay after work. Not everyone drinks alcohol. Employees may also have caregiving responsibilities, transportation challenges, religious beliefs, or health considerations that make attending or participating in alcohol-centered events difficult.

Employers should provide food, nonalcoholic beverages, and ways to participate that do not require drinking. A World Cup watch party can still be festive, fun, and inclusive.

5. Plan Ahead for Safety and Liability Concerns

Employer-sponsored social events can create workers’ compensation and safety issues. Under California law, injuries arising from voluntary off-duty recreational, social, or athletic activities are generally excluded from workers’ compensation coverage unless the activity is a reasonable expectancy of, or is expressly or impliedly required by, the employment. In practice, that means employers should avoid making attendance feel required and should be careful about whether managers pressure employees to participate.

Employers should also think through practical risks: crowded conference rooms, extension cords, spills, alcohol consumption, employees driving home, or overly competitive games and contests. A little planning goes a long way.

6. Be Careful With Photos and Social Media

Watch parties make for great social media content, but employers should be thoughtful before posting photos of employees. Employees may not want to be featured in internal communications or online, and alcohol-related photos can create unnecessary privacy or professionalism concerns.

Let employees know if photos will be taken, obtain written photo releases for any photos that may be used online, avoid embarrassing posts, and give employees a way to opt out.

Takeaways for California Employers

Workplace happy hours and World Cup watch parties can be great for morale. Employers do not need to cancel the fun, but practical guardrails must be put into place.

Before the first whistle blows, run through this checklist:

Make attendance genuinely voluntary with no pressure, no consequences for skipping
Limit alcohol service by using drink tickets, setting a cutoff time, and always serving food with alcohol
Offer appealing nonalcoholic options and ways to participate without drinking
Remind employees that anti-harassment and conduct policies apply at the event
Brief managers to watch for comments that cross the line on national origin, ancestry, race, ethnicity, or other protected characteristics
Make rideshare or safe transportation options available
Avoid posting employee photos without consent, especially alcohol-related images
Do not conduct mandatory work meetings or training during the event

With those steps in place, employers can cheer on the World Cup while keeping workplace risk on the sidelines.

June Monroe is a director in Fennemore’s Orange County office and a member of the firm’s Labor & Employment Law practice group. She advises employers on compliance, investigations, and day-to-day employment issues. June also represents employers before government agencies and courts, defending wage and hour, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims. Many of her clients are in the agribusiness industry. She can be reached at jmonroe@fennemorelaw.com.

Elise O’Brien is a director and office managing partner in Fennemore’s Orange County office and a member of the firm’s Labor & Employment Law practice group. Elise advises employers on a broad spectrum of employment matters. She also has extensive experience representing employers in federal and state court litigation involving wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour claims. She can be reached at eobrien@fennemorelaw.com.