Five Office Christmas Party Blunders to Avoid

The trick to surviving your office Christmas party with your pride/reputation/career intact is to strike the balance between taking part, but not pushing things too far. Below we look at the top five office Christmas party blunders you should avoid.

Drinking too much

This one should be a no-brainer. Yet without fail at an office party someone always manages to drink one too many and ends up doing something they regret.

Make sure you know your limit and don’t let well-meaning colleagues pressure you into drinking more than you can handle; you’ll be the one with a hangover and a lot of explaining to do the next day.

Say no to mistletoe!

The office Christmas party is a time to let your hair down and mingle with the people you work with off the clock. You might have had your eye on someone at work for a while and think the Christmas party is the perfect opportunity to make your move. Think twice. The truth is, you’re in the full glare of your co-workers and they’ll no doubt remind you of your success or failure.

Put the phone down

Social media is a fantastic way of keeping in touch and up to date with events instantly all over the world. However with great power comes great responsibility. Keep your phone safely tucked away unless you want the world to see your bad dancing.

Don't air your dirty laundry

OK, so you haven’t got a pay rise or were passed over for a promotion. Using the Office party to vocalize your grievances in an unprofessional way is not going to help.

Don’t talk about work

It’s very easy to fall on conversation about the regular goings-on in work with colleagues, in fact it’s almost invertible. However there is no reason why you can’t talk about something else. The office party is a chance to have fun, not bore everyone with the pros and cons of your current desk arrangement.

If you'd like help with your job search register with Meridian to receive up to date candidate information and job alerts. Register with Meridian