FIND A NEW JOB WITH US

Follow these tips and get through the works do with your dignity (and job!) intact, writes Gary Flockhart

Like mince pies and mulled wine, the office Christmas party is not to everyone’s taste.

Indeed, a survey found that one-fifth of UK workers dread the office Christmas party and will do anything to avoid attending what they see as a booze-fuelled obstacle course full of career-threatening moments.

Still, the majority of employees see the office Christmas party as an opportunity to let their hair down and relax with colleagues in a more social setting.

In the event that you’re one of those who think office Christmas parties are fun (you party animal, you!) here’s a list of dos and dont’s. The Dos

■ Attend – you might think it’s no big deal to duck out, but some bosses take it personally. No one is suggesting you won’t keep your job, but some bosses use the office Christmas party to see if you’re a ‘team player’.

■ Pace yourself – it goes without saying, but if you get torn into the tequila before you’ve even sat down for the meal, you stand a good chance of... well, not be able to stand come the end of the night. Every office party has that one person who makes a fool of themselves after drinking too much, but no one wants to be the butt of the office jokes for the next 12 months. Worse still, in this age of camera phones, even those colleagues who chickened out of attending might get a laugh at your expense. The cardinal rule is to eat before you start drinking.

■ Avoid the mistletoe – it’s thought that one in four UK workers have kissed a colleague at an office Christmas party. If you want to make things really awkward for yourselves, go ahead and pucker up. The Don’ts

■ Be too honest – everyone has that one colleague they don’t get on with. Problem is, a lot of people make the mistake of telling them after too many drinks.

■ Bang on about work – no-one wants to hear it. The whole idea of the office Christmas party is to socialise with co-workers in a way you wouldn’t normally. Chatting about targets, projections and any other work-based subjects is a no-no.

■ Ask your boss about a promotion – no matter how ‘nice’ your boss might seem after he’s loosened his tie and had a few drinks, this isn’t the time to be trying to advance your career.

■ Discuss contentious topics – no matter what your views, you should avoid certain subjects. You might think you’re showing a different side to yourself by discussing the likes of sex, religion and politics, but your co-workers could see things very differently.

“Every office party has that one person who makes a fool of themselves after drinking too much, but noone wants to be the butt of the office jokes for the next 12 months”