Bosses Take Note: Stay Away From the Christmas Party!
The perfect recipe for the office Christmas party? According to new research it should be served on Festive Friday (17 December), contains one part flirting, two measures of pop-tastic tunes and a sprinkling of bad dancing. But to ensure real festive fun, make sure you leave out the main ingredient of day to day work – the boss.
The research by T.G.I. Friday's reveals that one in three people say that their bosses attendance stops everyone having fun, with one in five employees (21 per cent) saying they don’t want their boss to come to the office Christmas party at all and a further 27 per cent admitting that if they do, they should not outstay their welcome beyond paying the bar bill, and leave early so that their staff can party in true style.
And it isn’t only about spoiling their fun - the T.G.I. Friday’s Office Christmas Party study discovered that over a quarter (27 per cent) of Brits are worried that if the boss is there they might not be able to resist the urge of telling them exactly what they think of them, with a further one in ten (12 per cent) saying they were worried things could get really get out of hand and turn physical!
No wonder 1 per cent have quit their job at the office party!
However on the flip side, several people use the office party to lean on their boss in the season of goodwill, ordering more expensive drinks just because their boss is picking up the tab with a further 5 per cent of Brits aiming to get their boss to drunkenly agree to a pay rise.
The survey of 2,000 Brits also reveals that merriment and mistletoe at office Christmas parties has led to one in ten people (11 per cent) having a close encounter with a colleague, with the North West leading in out-of-work meetings of more than just minds, with 15 percent being caught in a compromising position with a co-worker.
Unsurprisingly, Brits are still feeling the pinch of the recession as 31 per cent plan to raid their wardrobe rather than buy a new party outfit.
Of those that are buying something new, nearly half (46 per cent) will be keeping themselves on a strict £50 budget, and rather than wanting an expensive formal affair, over half the UK workers would opt for a fun evening at a local bar with more money on the tab.
Jenni Trent Hughes, celebrity psychologist and ex-party planner said: “It’s not a surprise that many people don’t want their boss at the office Christmas party as they are scared to let their hair down and do something they regret.
"However from the T.G.I. Friday’s research it’s clear to see that when the party gets going all inhibitions go!”
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