Here's an interesting question from a reader for this time of year with the office parties, personal and family holiday celebrations, and special events. I have supplied my response, but I am curious about what you think, too.

Reader Question: "I enjoy your columns on About.com, and just finished reading your sage advice about alcohol consumption at office parties. I don't drink at all, and want to know if what I once heard is true. Do people have negative thoughts, however unconscious, about those who never imbibe? Thank you for your guidance. While I don't intend to start drinking, I do want to know what the "conventional wisdom" is about teetotalers?"

My Response: "I have never seen any research on this, so I am just giving you my opinion. I think people are more comfortable with people who act like the crowd. If they drink at the party, everyone should drink at the party. It justifies their own choices. Never feel uncomfortable that you don't drink. Carry around a glass with the beverage of your choice at the party and never mind, not even for a minute, what your imbibing coworkers think. You'll not mess up at the party (as so many people do) and you're probably healthier for not drinking."

Please share what you think with this reader. Is there conventional wisdom about teetotalers? What do you think?

_{Image Copyright Dieter Spears}

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You want involved, engaged, satisfied employees. You also want to be a good corporate citizen with the reputation as an employer of choice so that you attract and retain the best employees.

At the same time, you need to make a profit so you can make money, pay employees, see what you can create, ever more effectively listen to and serve your customers, and provide a work environment in which people want to contribute. You want more than their forty hours; you want the discretionary energy that employees decide whether to contribute at work - or not. Successful departments, functions, and companies get it all.

Corporate Philanthropy for Employee Motivation

Large corporations generally have well-defined corporate philanthropy programs that may include foundations, major event sponsorship, and corporation-wide employee involvement in volunteerism and organized giving, often to a well-organized charity such as United Way. But, corporate philanthropy presents an astonishing opportunity for small to mid-sized companies and organizations, too.

Key to the success of your corporate philanthropy efforts is the enthusiasm of the team that leads the charge, That team's understanding about what fellow employees find motivating and interesting is another key to success. A range of activities that include volunteering, cash donations, cash donations with a company match up to a certain limit, and run/walk-type activities for active employees involve all employee groups.

Corporate philanthropy can range from a can of food donated at a holiday food and clothing collection event to a developer volunteering to build a website for a local nonprofit over a weekend. Employees have tutored students in subjects necessary for their profession and supported local nonprofits that promote learning in their field of work. Your only limit is the imagination of your employees.

_{Image Copyright Paul Burns / Getty Images}

More Related to Corporate Philanthropy

• Contribute to Community Causes.
• Create a Very Merry Holiday Season.
• HR's Role in Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility.

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Okay, my suspicions are confirmed. The majority of the holiday office party gaffes described by readers are fueled by too much alcohol drinking.

Some readers are telling tales about themselves, and their usually, early career mishaps. In fact, if people didn't drink, and in some cases, didn't talk, there would be no holiday blunders worth telling about. How bad is that?

I have written about drinking at office holiday parties in the past. They are a particularly poor stage for bad behavior as your coworkers never forget and your actions may well affect your career in the future. People act subconsciously. You won't often see a manager look at a promotional opportunity and say, "Well, Mary was so drunk at the office party, how can we ever be sure she will exhibit good judgment on these accounts."

While a manager can think these thoughts, it's more likely that the decision maker is subtly affected by the bad behavior. Mary won't get the job and she will never know exactly why - but, she may suspect.

If you don't want to burn bridges this holiday season, set two glasses of wine or two beers as your limit. A client company's employees schedule a monthly event called 2BeerFriday so that people attending understand the expectations and don't overdo the drinking. If good sense doesn't control your party behavior, perhaps peer pressure will. One can only hope that each employee takes personal responsibility for their office party behavior.

Do read the article for examples of ways to minimize the impact of alcohol at your office holiday events. Be safe; be smart. Enjoy each other without the alcohol crutch this holiday season.

_{Image Copyright Ekaterina Monakhova}

This Carnival of Human Resources, hosted by Michael VanDervort at the Human Race Horses Blog, drew a lot of HR, recruiter and management writers and bloggers.

The draw? This month everyone needed to propose a charitable cause that they'd like to support. The 86 bloggers who did raised money for a charitable cause while sharing their own thoughts on the world of work.

The range of charitable causes supported makes the piece I am currently writing on corporate philanthropy timely. I'll speak more about it this weekend, but I'm not sure there is a more effective team building, feel good event for your employees.

In the meantime, take a look at the posts at the Carnival. You may discover your next favorite writer. Indeed, most of them have strong opinions, worth reading.

_{Image Copyright Mark Tantrum}

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