The 12 questions of Christmas

A festive quiz on what actually goes wrong at work in December. Hand out pages 1 and 2, keep the answer sheet. Free to use with your own team, courtesy of WorkplaceHero.

Question sheet

1. Your team wants to string fairy lights across the office. What matters most?
- A. They match the tinsel
- B. Nothing blocks escape routes, exits or fire equipment
- C. They are switched off at weekends
- D. They are LED rather than filament
2. A young person you work with tells you, just before the holidays, that they are dreading going home. You should:
- A. Promise to keep it between the two of you
- B. Wait until the new term to see if it comes up again
- C. Record what was said and pass it to the safeguarding lead the same day
- D. Speak to their family directly to check
3. At the work Christmas party, your organisation's conduct policies:
- A. Do not apply - it is a social event
- B. Apply, because a work event is an extension of the workplace
- C. Only apply to managers
- D. Only apply if it is held on site
4. Which is the strongest sign a colleague may be struggling in December?
- A. They have booked time off
- B. They are quieter than usual, withdrawing and their work has slipped
- C. They do not want to join Secret Santa
- D. They are working from home more
5. Someone is closing up alone on a dark December evening. The most important control is:
- A. A torch in the car
- B. An agreed check-in procedure so somebody knows they got home
- C. Telling them to be careful
- D. Locking the front door an hour early
6. Buffet food has been sat out on the table since the party started three hours ago. You should:
- A. Put it back in the fridge for tomorrow
- B. Leave it, it is only a party
- C. Throw away high-risk food left out of temperature control for more than four hours
- D. Reheat it once and carry on
7. A colleague brings homemade treats in to share. The safest thing to do is:
- A. Nothing, it is a gift
- B. Ask what is in them and label allergens clearly
- C. Assume anyone with an allergy will ask
- D. Keep them in a separate room
8. Someone at the party has a severe allergic reaction and carries an adrenaline auto-injector. You should:
- A. Wait to see if it settles
- B. Give antihistamine and sit them down
- C. Use the auto-injector into the outer thigh and call 999 immediately
- D. Take them outside for air
9. You are moving a heavy box of decorations down from storage. The correct approach is:
- A. Lift with a straight back and bent knees, close to your body
- B. Lift quickly to get it over with
- C. Twist as you lift to save a step
- D. Carry it at arm's length to see where you are going
10. You are sending the team Christmas card list by email to 200 customers. You should:
- A. Put every address in the To field
- B. Put every address in CC
- C. Use BCC or a proper mailing tool, and only contact people who agreed to it
- D. Send it from a personal account
11. Who is responsible for safeguarding in your organisation?
- A. The designated safeguarding lead only
- B. Managers only
- C. Everyone - reporting concerns is part of every role
- D. HR
12. A member of your team has worked every weekend in December to cover gaps. As a manager you should:
- A. Thank them and carry on, it is a busy period
- B. Offer a bonus
- C. Review the rota, check their working time and give them real recovery time
- D. Ask them to let you know if it gets too much

Answer sheet (for the quizmaster)

1. B - Nothing blocks escape routes, exits or fire equipment
Fire safety: Decorations are the classic December fire risk. Keep escape routes, fire doors, extinguishers and call points completely clear, and never prop a fire door open for the cable.
2. C - Record what was said and pass it to the safeguarding lead the same day
Safeguarding over the holidays: Never promise secrecy, and never sit on it over a break. Record the words used and tell your designated safeguarding lead straight away - holiday periods are exactly when support disappears.
3. B - Apply, because a work event is an extension of the workplace
Conduct at work events: Employers have been found liable for what happens at Christmas parties, on or off site. Harassment, discrimination and bullying policies all still apply, and so does your duty of care.
4. B - They are quieter than usual, withdrawing and their work has slipped
Wellbeing and stress: A noticeable change from someone's normal pattern - withdrawal, irritability, slipping work, more absence - is the signal. Opting out of the festive stuff on its own tells you very little.
5. B - An agreed check-in procedure so somebody knows they got home
Lone and late working: Lone working needs a system, not goodwill: a known finish time, an agreed way to raise the alarm, and someone who notices when the check-in does not come.
6. C - Throw away high-risk food left out of temperature control for more than four hours
Food safety: High-risk foods should not sit out of temperature control for more than four hours, and should then be thrown away rather than chilled and reused.
7. B - Ask what is in them and label allergens clearly
Food safety: The 14 named allergens do not take December off. Ask for the ingredients and label them, or make it clear the allergen content is unknown.
8. C - Use the auto-injector into the outer thigh and call 999 immediately
First aid: Anaphylaxis needs adrenaline into the outer thigh without delay, then 999. Waiting to see is the most dangerous option there is.
9. A - Lift with a straight back and bent knees, close to your body
Manual handling: Assess it, keep the load close, bend the knees not the back, and never twist while loaded. If it is awkward or heavy, get help or use equipment.
10. C - Use BCC or a proper mailing tool, and only contact people who agreed to it
Data protection: Exposing customer email addresses to each other is one of the most commonly reported data breaches of the year, and it peaks in December. Use BCC or a mailing tool, and respect marketing consent.
11. C - Everyone - reporting concerns is part of every role
Safeguarding over the holidays: There is a designated lead, but safeguarding is everybody's responsibility. Your job is to notice, record and report - not to investigate.
12. C - Review the rota, check their working time and give them real recovery time
Wellbeing and stress: Working time rules and your duty of care do not pause for a busy season. Fix the rota rather than relying on someone to put their hand up.