If employees go to a bar after an official workplace social event and have an argument, should the altercation be considered a workplace issue and are the company liable for any injuries caused?

The conduct of employees at out of office events and parties can be a difficult issue for employers to address. Employers can be vicariously liable for the conduct of their employees out of office, especially if employees are attending events in the course of their employment. The key issue for employers is deciding what exactly constitutes a work event and where to draw the line between an out-of-office dispute between employees and a workplace issue.

The English High Court recently considered this issue in the case of Bellman v Northampton Recruitment Ltd, namely whether a company should be vicariously liable for the injuries a manager suffered after being assaulted by a director