Revealed: One in four professionals dread the work Christmas party

As CV-Library offers its top tips for Christmas party success!

The festive season is upon us, and that can only mean one thing – the work Christmas party! Yet a new study from CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job site, has revealed that over one in four (27.3 per cent) professionals admit to dreading the office party. This figure increased to almost a third (31.4 per cent) amongst those aged 45-54.

The survey of 1,300 UK professionals, explored the views of workers when it came to the work Christmas party and found that one in four (24.5 per cent) confessed to often getting drunk at these events. What’s more, over one in 10 (12.8 per cent) have made a fool of themselves as a result, with this figure rising increasing to 16.7 per cent amongst 35-44 year olds. The top causes for post-Christmas party embarrassment include:

1. Embarrassing yourself dancing – 31.4 per cent
2. Kissing one of your colleagues – 25.9 per cent
3. Throwing up in front of people – 20.5 per cent
4. Spilling your drink everywhere – 18.4 per cent
5. Falling over in front of your co-workers – 16.2 per cent

However despite these blunders, over half (59.4 per cent) admit that they do enjoy these events. What’s more, 39.8 per cent said that their employer does put a lot of effort into preparing the work Christmas party.

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, comments: “The Christmas party is a great opportunity to celebrate the festive season, and encourage your staff to socialise and get to know one another outside the work environment. As such, it’s a shame to see that so many workers are becoming nervous beforehand, especially given that it’s supposed to be a fun event for staff to let their hair down.

“If you’re organising a Christmas party for your workforce, try to get feedback on the types of activities they enjoy, this could help to reduce their pre-party nerves. Also, ensure that if you’re serving alcohol there is food available, otherwise employees could risk becoming too drunk. But most importantly, put thought into your event and show your employees how much you appreciate their hard work throughout the year.”