Kara Kennedy

The office Christmas party is back with a vengeance

Covid restrictions are gone – and inhibitions will soon follow

  • From Spectator Life
[iStock]

I’m bad at Christmas. I hate turkey, wrapping presents and the idea of forced, planned fun. My family – mostly – shares the same view. Extra shifts are picked up and presents are sent with time to spare to avoid actually having to see each other. Fortunately, even if I’m no fan of Christmas itself, there is one saving grace: the office Christmas party.

No other work event can compare. Leaving drinks are strained, after-work drinks are pedestrian and inviting colleagues to things like birthdays often just feels wrong. The office Christmas party is the opportunity for a night of true debauchery before you all head off for the festive break, leaving just enough time to live down anything embarrassing you might have done.

A very unofficial survey of friends confirms my suspicions about the uniquely rambunctious nature of these events. ‘What’s the maddest thing that’s happened at your Christmas party?’ I asked. The answers ranged from the usual employee handbook breaches (cavorting in the toilets with a colleague, a lap dance from a female boss) – to the more unusual. One recalled that at his previous workplace one member of the human resources team put her hand up his thigh as she described sexual harassment in the office. Another friend told me he’d attended a party where someone stole the host’s grandmother’s ashes. They were never returned. (I also learned that I have quite a few incredibly boring friends. One even told me she never bothered attending her office party. My reaction was the same kind of shock and pity I have for people who have never smoked a cigarette: really, you’ve never even tried one?)

The thing I love most about the office Christmas party is that the whole hierarchy is out the window after the second drink

The thing I love most about the office Christmas party is that the whole hierarchy is out the window after the second drink.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in