On the twelfth day of Christmas: The 12 do’s and don’ts of the office Christmas party

December is now upon us which, for most people, marks the (un)official beginning of the festive season.

For many of us it may feel as though this period began a long time ago when shops prematurely displayed Christmas decorations and those festive season enthusiasts talked about completing their shopping sometime in October (and have been eagerly singing Christmas songs ever since). However, for most people the real indication that Christmas is nearly here, is the office Christmas party.

Planning for the Christmas party begins well in advance with venues booked months ahead, but what is often missed out in the preparation is how to navigate the minefield of ensuring you leave with your reputation, and your job, intact.

In the lead up to your Christmas party, consider the following 12 Do’s and Don’ts to negate the risk of leaving yourself off the guest list, and the payroll, next year:

Do turn up – It sounds simple, but if you RSVP confirming your attendance, then don’t bother to show on the night, it will be noticed. These events are as much about team building and creating a culture as they are about getting photo evidence of your boss dancing on a table.
Don’t forget the camera – Everyone has a camera at their fingertips so, following on from point one, keep in mind anything that you do can be circulated on Facebook or in an internal email before you wake up the next day.
Do own up – If you put your foot in it, offend someone or say something you shouldn’t, then the best thing to do is own up and apologise at the first opportunity.
Don’t wear anything too outrageous (this tip isn’t just for the ladies) – Yes dress up, but keep in mind you are at a work function and be mindful of appropriate attire around your colleagues.
Do socialise – This is an opportunity to speak to the colleagues who you would ordinarily only pass on the way out of the coffee shop in the morning. It could be a good time to get to know the colleague who you think you don’t like (but opt out of mentioning that in conversation).
Don’t overshare – This is not a forum to tell you your boss that you hate them, love them, fancy them, want their job or would like a pay rise and/or promotion.
Do put your phone away – This is a time to celebrate the year and not reply to those “urgent” emails. Also the less phones out, the less chance of embarrassing photo’s surfacing the day after.
Don’t abuse the free bar – Of course we are all going to take advantage of someone else covering the bill, but don’t be the casualty everyone is laughing at the next day.
Do leave work behind – Talking shop is inevitable, but try not to open a discussion around long term business strategies or give away any confidential information - especially if you didn’t take the advice in point eight.
Don’t forget this is a work event - Twerking, stripping, keg stands, kissing at the bar, or anything else that would normally feature in a University frat house party, probably aren’t appropriate.
Do enjoy yourself – This is one of the few occasions that the entire workforce is encouraged to let their hair down, celebrate the successes of the year and look forward to some well earned time off.
Don’t call in sick – If your office party falls on a weekday then nobody is going to believe that your alarm didn’t go off or your car broke down the next morning.

For anyone who doesn’t take heed of the above advice and finds themselves needing to seek a new opportunity for the new year then please visit the our job opportunities page.