WARNING: The Danger of the Office Christmas Party

With many Christmas office parties taking place this month, it is extremely important that employees are aware of the compromising situations they can get themselves into. In most cases, festive antics occur due to the over-consumption of alcohol which may result in members of staff becoming offensive and thinking it’s a good idea to give their boss their honest opinions. They may even decide it is a good idea to post inappropriate images of the Christmas party online.

While it is important to have a good time, it is crucial that you take it easy and think about your career and what the consequences are for your actions.

You must pace yourself.

Christmas party misdemeanours

A survey carried out by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) identified which misdemeanours carried out during the office Christmas party can cause issues during the party and hostility when returning.

The ILM Survey Found that:

Employees

• Nearly 9 out of 10 employees have seen fellow coworkers drink too much.
• Nearly 50% of those asked have gone to work the day after with a hangover.
• Nearly one third have heard staff gossiping and telling others their coworkers secrets.

Managers:

• Over half of the managers surveyed declared that they would reprimand staff for being rude towards one another.
• Nearly one third would reprimand staff for gossiping and sharing coworkers secrets.
• However, only 10% of managers stated that they would reprimand staff for coming in with a hangover after the office Christmas party.

Even though nearly one-third of workers thought their bad behaviour during the Christmas party would have a negative impact on their career and position in the workplace, only 3% reported ever being rebuked for their festive antics.

Interesting findings

The ILM survey clearly points out that each year many employees still put themselves at risk of disciplinary action, mostly by drinking too much and “putting their foot in it” even though managers have stated they will reprimand staff if they are rude, gossip or come to work hungover the next day.

However, hangovers seem to be more acceptable amongst managers as only 10% would find it an issue. This may be expected if office parties are scheduled on a working day, but should employees take it on themselves to watch their intake and ensure they are still going to be able to perform their duties to a high standard the next day?

We would advise keeping it steady and pacing yourself, and if you strongly feel as though the party will interfere with you abilities, speak to your boss or the hiring manager and ask them to reschedule it for the next day or negotiate a morning off. Afterall, employers put these events in place to show employees their appreciation and give them the opportunity to socialise and let their hair down, to a certain extent of course.

Find out more on the office Christmas party

Wright Solutions have over twenty years experience in the HR sector and work personally to provide high-calibre candidates for specialist executive roles in human resources and learning and development.

Please feel free to call us on 0121 222 5599 for an informal discussion or send us an email to info@wrightsolutionsltd.com.

^{Sources: forbes.com and institutelm.com}