Almost 30 percent of UK employees have flirted with a work colleague at an office Christmas party.
Over in four have kissed a colleague at the festive work event.One in five fully expect they’ll do or say something embarrassing at this year’s office Christmas party. Office Christmas parties have become notorious for excessive drinking and sometimes scandalous behaviour – but how much of this is true? New research into employee behaviour at office Christmas parties has revealed how various sectors behave, and also how much of this behaviour has made its way onto social media.
At past office Christmas parties, one-in-ten UK employees have admitted drinking so much alcohol that they couldn’t turn up for work the next day. Spotting an opportunity to get close to colleagues – one in ten British workers are planning on telling a co-worker they like them at this year’s office Christmas party. With one in five UK employees expecting to embarrass themselves this year, 15 percent have admitted that they’re going to change their Facebook settings so that they have to approve a ‘tag’ in a status or a picture.
This is perhaps a good idea for the property sector – with one in five property employees admitting that they’ve had an argument with their other half following a picture or status they’ve been tagged in on Facebook at an office Christmas party. The research – which breaks down by eight sectors – found that the property sector seem the most likely to find themselves in trouble following Christmas party antics. One in ten property employees have received a written or verbal warning following their behaviour at an office Christmas party, and a shocking 8 percent have even been fired! The travel sector were found to be the most likely to be amorous at office Christmas parties – with a massive 40 percent of travel employees admitting they’ve flirted with a work colleague and almost 42 percent admitting they’ve kissed a co-worker at the office Christmas party. One in 4 travel employees have waited until the office Christmas party to tell a colleague they like them, and almost 1 in 4 admitted to saying something inappropriate to a work colleague that they’ve regretted the next day.
A worried ten percent of travel employees aren’t even going to their work Christmas party this year because they don’t want to do something embarrassing. An ashamed 14 percent of energy & utilities employees admitted they have been dumped by their other half following their behaviour at an office Christmas party, compared to just a 4 percent all-sector average.
A further 14 percent of energy & utilities employees are going to use the office Christmas party this year to confront a colleague or tell them they don’t like them. A well behaved 36 percent of marketing & advertising employees are on target to be the most well behaved at their party this year, stating they’re going to drink much less alcohol than the year before to avoid embarrassment. With the festive party season coming up, employers are preparing for how to deal with inappropriate behaviour. Whilst the office party is likely to take place outside of work hours, with it being a work event – work policies still apply. This guide advises employers on how to handle employee behaviour at work events and online.
