’Tis the season to be jolly’ and it’s also time already to think about booking the office Christmas party! The idea of an annual holiday event is the root of corporate goodwill. It is their way to show appreciation for their employees for another year of hard work.

This is all very well and good however, the reality is that there are the office creeps who view the Christmas party as a corporate-like event that are only good to attend for their career. Then there ’s the inevitable visitation of drunken louts and over flirtatious women (or men) who take the celebration a bit too far and invariably if this is an in-office Christmas do several items of office furniture could be broken!

In an independent survey of a thousand office workers it was revealed that one in five workers do regret their actions during the office Christmas party. Suddenly social fears, boring events and the favorite - an open bar - often leads to excessive drinking which make the office party a social minefield.

Over one third of workers admitted doing the dreading ’walk of shame’ to their office desk the next morning, not sure whether they had enhanced or limited their career the night before. The survey also revealed that ten per cent of workers also take the opportunity of their bosses ’high spirits’ by asking for a pay rise, and another ten percent confessed to being physically sick on their office desk in front of colleagues due to excessive drinking at the party, which is probably not the best idea if you are looking for a promotion next year.

The moral of the story is to go to the office party, have a good time but limit your alcohol intake to a sensible level.