The work Christmas party is a strange and unique social setting.
A mandatory festive hangout with your colleagues and bosses – only a few of whom are likely to be your actual friends – trying to balance having fun with not making a complete tit out of yourself.
It’s a fine line to walk. And alcohol is usually the trickiest element to navigate. Just how drunk is it actually acceptable to get at a work party?
You’re not in the office, it’s technically out-of-hours, everyone’s dressed up… but that doesn’t mean all professional rules go out the window. And that’s easy to forget when there’s a free bar involved.
We’ve already written this week about whether you can actually get fired for what happens at the Christmas party – the answer is a resounding yes. But you’d have to do something pretty terrible.
‘Anything which your employer counts as gross misconduct could give them grounds to fire you, whether it happens at the Christmas party or in the office,’ explains Rachel Suff, senior policy adviser at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development.
According to Rachel, ‘this can include, but is not exclusive to, physical assault, sexual harassment (or any other form of harassment or discrimination), theft, or breaching your employer’s drug and alcohol policy’.
But what about just being really, really pissed? Slurring your words, kissing the wrong person, falling down the stairs, taking a cheeky nap on the pavement outside… that kind of thing.
It might not be gross incompetence, but the experts definitely advice against it.
‘I would say a couple of drinks is OK, but not more than that. You really don’t want to be very drunk at the work Christmas do,’ says Peter Lawrence, HR expert and founder of Human Capital Department.
‘If you do start to feel drunk, I think it’s definitely time to head home.’
Peter remembers incidents from work Christmas parties where employees have gotten so drunk that they’ve started having a go at their bosses, and one incident where a woman – who was a manager herself – collapsed in front of the company owners.
‘The commercial manager had had a skin-full. She stood up and walked over to the new owner, but then just completely collapsed on the floor in front of him.’
Peter says it’s important to remember that you’re still in a professional setting, to some extent – and you don’t want to make a bad impression with your superiors.
‘It’s unprofessional to get overly drunk at the work Christmas party. It’s really about behaviour and expectations.
‘Sometimes people say things they regret or don’t really mean when they’re drunk – you can lose your inhibitions or get a bit out of control. It doesn’t reflect well on the company.
‘The onus should be on the company a little bit too – for example they could indicate their expectations for the party to employees; make it clear what will and won’t be tolerated.
‘I remember another Christmas party incident where one guy was sick in a plant pot in the foyer of a hotel. Not a good look.
‘I think as an employee or manager, you want to represent yourself in the best possible light, and not do anything you might regret.’
But the level of debauchery allowed definitely depends on where you work – some companies might have a much more relaxed approach to Christmas party boozing.
Paul Simms is COO at marketing agency Reflect Digital. Their company Christmas party is this week, and Paul says he won’t mind if his employees get a bit drunk.
‘My tolerance for how drunk is acceptable at the work Christmas party may be slightly higher than some bosses,’ Paul tells Metro.co.uk.
‘I do believe a good night out can be great for the team, but there are probably a few points I can give to avoid getting into too much trouble and turning a good night into a bad one.’
According to a study conducted by Cartridge People, one in seven Brits have shouted at their boss at a work Christmas party, with more than a quarter having had to leave a work party early because they were too drunk.
Paul says he’s never had to deal with really bad behaviour or deal with anything that has lead to a dismissal – but he knows it’s becoming more common,
‘My top tip to avoid dismissal is to not urinate on colleagues, or anyone for that matter, at the bar. I know of this happening more than once,’ he says.
‘We’ve had the standard drunk behaviour of dancing on bars, or getting a little bit carried away – resulting in someone being very sick.’
Paul says that the key to being drunk at the Christmas party is to make sure you don’t cross over into the dark side. You know what we’re talking about. The point of drunkness where you might say something rude, or become needlessly angry – the tone needs to stay light and fun.
‘As long as the drunken behaviour is in good spirits and is not going to upset or offend anyone, then you’re probably going to be fine,’ adds Paul.
‘You may end up being the one everyone is laughing about if you do have a few too many, but as long as you’re OK with that, go out and really enjoy yourself.’
Paul says it also depends on individual tolerance – if you know you have a tendency to cry after too many wines, or get black out drunk and scream at people – maybe go easy when you’re with your colleagues.
‘Sadly some people aren’t good after a few drinks and show a darker side of themselves and can get violent or abusive,’ Paul explains.
‘If this is you then you’re likely going to put your career in danger, so best to avoid getting carried away.
‘It’s also probably best, in general, to avoid tequila shots and jagerbombs if you don’t want to risk becoming unacceptably drunk at the Christmas party.’
So, if you think you can remember these pointers – even after three-quarters of a bottle of lukewarm white wine – then jump right in and have fun. But you know yourself, and if you have previous form of being a bit of a nightmare drunk, it might be best to go it sober.
And if that is what you decide to do, you likely won’t be on your own.
A new study, conducted by TotalJobs, has found that attitudes towards workplace drinking are shifting. Only 44% of drinkers plan to celebrate with a tipple at their office Christmas party this year.
Six in 10 workers want bosses to ditch the pub altogether and choose non-boozy venues for holiday celebrations.
So in a few years time, the entire concept of getting drunk in the office and dancing on your desk might be completely out of fashion.
If you need some pointers on how to take it easy on the booze this festive season, look into mindful drinking – it could help you achieve the perfect, non-embarrassing balance.
MORE: What are the rules for taking a sick day from work for a hangover?
MORE: People reveal why they were disciplined or fired after their work Christmas party
MORE: How to become a ‘mindful drinker’ during Christmas party season
source https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/11/drunk-allowed-get-work-christmas-party-11658344/
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