Holiday office parties out to embarrass us all
It’s with no disrespect we bring you this post just one day after a 63-year-old was found guilty of murdering his former boss, Benjamin David Banky, at a B.C. Christmas gathering two years ago.
But, nonetheless, if you haven’t had your office holiday yet, it’s surely coming, and that means three things for terrified employees:
1) Having to talk to your boss, 2) Resisting the temptation to hit on that tipsy workplace cougar who’s no doubt drenched in perfume, and 3) Performing steps 1) and 2) while getting drunk yourself. Party-goers, meet Taboo-fest, 2010, a.k.a. your annual office get-together.
Indeed, while designed for fun, year-after-year holiday office parties often induce more stress than enjoyment.
“Inevitably you’ve always got that one person who’s going to get fired the next day or definitely wishes they never showed up to the party,” Jordan Fogle, CEO of a Toronto-based event planning company, tells the Star.
“There’s always one in every crowd.”
While Fogle lets the newspaper in on some of the worst party cases he’s seen (“Everything from people throwing up on CEOs to falling down staircases,” he says), chances are even your most embarrassing holiday shindig gaffe isn’t quite that bad.
Still, what is it about mixing booze with colleagues that we just can’t handle?
One U.K. survey suggests most holiday party episodes may result, simply, from everyone’s general, universal disdain for their boss.
According to a study of 2,000 workers in the country, about one-third were scared they might not be able to resist telling off their bosses should they show to the office gathering. Hilariously, one in eight polled workers was scared things between them and their bosses could “actually turn physical.”
Of course, most of our office party screw-ups could be avoided if we just abstained from drinking, though, well, that’s kind of lame. Better yet, we just follow an office party etiquette guide – TheProvince.com, for example, suggests not showing too much skin or posting embarrassing photos on Facebook the next day – and hope our boozing doesn’t get us in too much trouble.
How did your holiday party go this year? Was there that one co-worker, as always, that had a bit too much, and what do you think it is about humans that prevents us from behaving at office parties in the first place?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: William | Dec 20, 2021 10:30:07 PM
Sorry, I've been going to office parties for 25 years and I just can't relate to this article at all.
Posted by: don | Dec 22, 2021 11:48:18 AM
I worked for a company that gave out at least 2 pink slips after every office party or BBQ. People attended but no one stayed long enough to over indulge. Most were gone an hour or so after the meal.
Posted by: Chuck | Dec 22, 2021 1:25:59 PM
??? I dont get it. Ive been to quite a few office/employee partys. They were all quite civilized and friendly. Some folks indulged in the spirits but were well behaved and polite. No drunk driving either.
CHEERS!