It’s beginning
to look a lot like Christmas! After a year of hard work, the office Christmas
party is a great way to relax and let your hair down with the people you work
and spend your days with in a more casual environment.
Before we
get on to what not to do, the first rule of the office Christmas party is to
have fun and enjoy yourself - ‘tis the season to be jolly after all!
But just
remember – you want it to be a night to remember for the right reasons, and you’ll
have to face your colleagues again in the morning! So apart from the obvious
tip of not getting too drunk and embarrassing yourself, here are five things
NOT to do at your office Christmas party!
1. Not turn up
You
may not want to go, but office Christmas parties are organised to reward and
recognise your hard work during the year. It’s also an opportunity to get to
know your colleagues better in an informal environment, so unless you have other
plans that you absolutely cannot miss, you should at least show your face. If
you genuinely cannot go, then tell your boss or party planner well in advance.
2. Look bored and be anti-social
Watch
your body language - don’t frown, slouch, sit in a corner alone or have your
eyes glued to your phone the whole night; even if you’re new and don’t know
many people or don’t like your co-workers – the party is an opportunity to get
to know the people you spend every working day with!
3. Gossip and bad mouth colleagues and clients
Always
be yourself but also make sure that the conversations you make during the party
are appropriate. Although it’s in an informal setting, the office Christmas
party is still a business event so you must keep your professionalism. Don’t be
a Scrooge - keep the conversations upbeat and positive!
4. Post photos or comments online that could get you in
trouble
Even
if you may not be friends with your colleagues or boss on social media, you
must still be careful as you might be a friend of a friend. Negative comments
could get you or someone else into trouble so you also don’t want to post any
inappropriate photos of your colleagues drinking too much or being silly,
especially without their permission.
5. Forget to acknowledge the person / people who planned the
party
Christmas
office parties take a lot of organising and planning so make sure you say thank
you and goodbye to whoever planned it! After all, the fun wouldn’t have been
possible without them!
What do you think are the biggest No-Nos at
office Christmas parties? Let us know via our social media channels below: