[英语阅读]圣诞礼物挑选不当可惹祸上身

'Sexist' secret Father Christmas gifts could lead to legal hangover

每年到了这个时候，公司召开圣诞节派对并让员工随机互赠礼物已成惯例。不过英国一些律师警告说，挑选礼物的时候一定要慎重，如果送错了礼物，可能会引官司上身。他们表示，赠送带有淫秽色彩或玩笑意味的礼物很可能导致性骚扰或宗教歧视等方面的法律诉讼；有时，送蕾丝内衣或给有白发的同事染发液等礼物都有可能惹上官司，而给女同事赠送烹饪书或厨具等礼物甚至都有可能被认作是性别歧视行为。律师建议，在挑选礼物时要利用常识谨慎选择，最好不要买可能会违反宗教禁忌或道德常理的礼物。

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.”