中國網站品牌欄目（頻道）
每年到了這個時候，公司召開圣誕節派對并讓員工隨機互贈禮物已成慣例。不過英國一些律師警告說，挑選禮物的時候一定要慎重，如果送錯了禮物，可能會引官司上身。他們表示，贈送帶有淫穢色彩或玩笑意味的禮物很可能導致性騷擾或宗教歧視等方面的法律訴訟；有時，送蕾絲內衣或給有白發的同事染發液等禮物都有可能惹上官司，而給女同事贈送烹飪書或廚具等禮物甚至都有可能被認作是性別歧視行為。律師建議，在挑選禮物時要利用常識謹慎選擇，最好不要買可能會違反宗教禁忌或道德常理的禮物。
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It has become an annual office ritual on a par with the Christmas party, but giving a colleague the wrong “secret Father Christmas” present could lead to an unwelcome legal hangover, lawyers have warned. |
It has become an annual office ritual on a par with the Christmas party, but giving a colleague the wrong “secret Father Christmas” present could lead to an unwelcome legal hangover, lawyers have warned.
Sending risqué or tongue-in-cheek gifts could provide grounds for claims for harassment or sexual or religious discrimination, according to employment lawyers.
Jokes such as giving a colleague lacy underwear or a greying co-worker a bottle of hair dye as a joke are among gift ideas fraught with potential legal danger.
Even giving a female co-worker a cookbook or a kitchen gadget could be deemed sexist, solicitors have claimed.
Seemingly innocuous offerings, such as a festive bottle of wine could result also cause offence to those who do not drink for religious reasons.
Giving anonymous gifts to colleagues whose names are picked at random has become a popular custom in British offices.
But last year a policeman in Luton, Beds, was forced to resign after giving a Muslim officer a packet of bacon and a bottle of wine as a secret Father Christmas present.
His colleague did not complain but the incident was reported to senior officers, leading to the PC’s resignation.
Neeta Laing, head of employment law at law firm Lewis Hymanson Small, based in Manchester said: “Workers should think carefully before buying their colleague a present that could be viewed as offensive.
“Use your common sense, for example, don’t give religious colleagues alcohol or offensive magazines or female workers kitchen ware.”
She added: “If an employee does receive, for example, a pair of lacy knickers and finds the gift offensive and wishes to pursue a harassment case, this must be taken seriously.”
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(Agencies)
Vocabulary:
risqué: suggestive of sexual impropriety，淫穢的
tongue-in-cheek: 不當真的，半開玩笑的
（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）
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