It’s that time of year again, where you’ll be gearing up for the festive celebrations with your colleagues. For many it’s a chance to let our hair down, party hard, and for our bosses to show us their appreciation at the work Christmas party.
But, unfortunately, for some staff who have drunk a little too much, the office party is fraught with problems and poor conduct is displayed on the night.
New research shows the extent to which work Christmas parties in the UK has become a breeding ground for staff misconduct, with UK staff admitting that behaving badly has landed both them and their business in hot water.
We undertook research into the behavior of 1000 UK workers to find out what our Christmas party antics in the UK involve. We asked about drinking too much, being inappropriate with colleagues, misconduct, and ruined personal reputations when Christmas party behaviour can go too far, leading to disciplinary action or worse for staff behaviour.
How have UK employees behaved in the past?
- 1 in 5 UK employees said they or a colleague has been in a physical altercation (fight) or heated argument at a previous Christmas party
- 11% admit they, or someone at their place of work, has been suspended or sacked for their misconduct at a company Christmas party
- 10% have made an inappropriate comment to a colleague, or done something they regretted at a previous Christmas party
- 1 in 10 employees say due to their staff’s behaviour, their company has been banned from a venue or received complaints from the venue, for negative conduct (being rude to staff, damaging property at a venue etc)
- 38% say they have flirted with or kissed a colleague at a work Christmas party
- 20% said their personal reputation, or a colleagues, has been negatively impacted due to their behaviour at a company Christmas party
- 21% said that they have been so drunk, or other form of inebriation, that you had they had to be picked up early from the company Christmas party
- 10% said there had been a case where a company credit card or public funds were inappropriately used at a work Christmas do
- 4% say they personally received formal HR action following a company Christmas party for inappropriateness, sexual harassment, or discrimination
With the prominence of social media today however, it is strong possibility that inappropriate behaviour at Christmas parties can be shared online, which can lead to damaged company reputations and irreparable reputations for individual staff.
How are UK employees planning to behave this year?
- 61% of UK staff attending a work Christmas party will be purposefully trying to drink less alcohol this year, for fear of doing something embarrassing or regretful
- 1 in 10 (12%) have decided not to attend a company Christmas party due to concerns over a colleague’s potential unprofessional behaviour
How are UK businesses curtailing staff behaviour at parties this year?
- 47% of companies are sending out prior communications advising on the expected professional conduct of their staff at the upcoming party; 35% of these communications are around drinking too much; 23% advising on sexual conduct with other colleagues; 24% on taking drugs; 21% on criminal damage; 18% on sharing images and videos on social media
- 26% of companies now have policies/rules against sharing pictures and events from the party onto social media
- 14% of companies are purposefully changing their approach to Christmas parties to encourage less inappropriate behaviour from staff. This includes having a smaller event, having a sit-down meal, and more discussion as a company on festive party rules
- 45% of UK companies will be reducing the expenditure, or toning down the Christmas party, due to economic and budget reasons
Ultimately, employee behaviour is a risk to your company’s reputation. If you’ve haven’t made it clear how they should and shouldn’t behave at company events, via communicating rules for acceptable employee behaviour – then this can be a risk, and you should take actions. You should also consider whether you want staff to avoid posting certain posts, images, or videos from the party on their accounts.
You may also want to consider if logistically, you can take measures to prevent unruly behaviour; more of a focus on a sit-down meal, less drink tokens etc. Too much drink could lead to outrageous behaviour which can lead to HR issues or the public finding out about sordid or potential criminal behaviour, affecting company image.
The best thing companies can do is set some guidelines or a policy for staff, which clearly outlines what behaviour is and isn’t acceptable. By setting some guidelines in place, you’re helping to look after your staff and avoid any HR issues where someone has taken stuff too far.
