It’s that time of year again. Office Christmas parties, seasonal joviality, rubbing shoulders with your workmates, socio-office networking and jockeying and other assorted antics such as watching the office drunkard make the most of the biggest free office bash for the year
It’s that time of year again. Office Christmas parties, seasonal joviality, rubbing shoulders with your workmates, socio-office networking and jockeying and other assorted antics such as watching the office drunkard make the most of the biggest free office bash for the year.
There’s any number of warnings put out by law firms and employer groups about the legal dangers of Christmas parties, and statistical evidence does tend to suggest that mixing Christmas cheer and work can sometimes lead to regrets of many kinds after the Christmas party.
A recent survey of 9,000 Australians found that 70 per cent believe boozing leads to more smooching and is the leading factor for Christmas party shenanigans. Furthermore, one-third of males are interested in getting a little more ‘personal’ with their colleagues during the office Christmas party, while almost a quarter of female employees admitted their boss has made a pass at them during such events.
Our esteemed associate publisher David Hovenden recently appeared on Channel Seven’s Sunrise program, and talked about the proverbial pros and cons of the office Christmas party. David talked about the need to keep a level-headed approach at the office Christmas party, and in doing so make the most of opportunities to develop socio-office networks to further streamline and improve workplace relations across all levels of an organisation.
While the above figures do suggest that there is a less benevolent element to Christmas cheer in the workplace, the ability to not only work harmoniously with peers in the workplace, but also socialise in a level-headed and friendly manner with colleagues and managers can hold one in good stead with management.
As the generational shift increasingly takes hold in organisations, attitudes to office Christmas parties are also changing. Office politics and one-upmanship are less important for the younger generations, who are more interested in egalitarianism and forming social bonds at work.
HR professionals are probably in a better place than most to observe all of this. While it’s probably easier to take a hard line with office Christmas parties, the level-headed approach that is desired amongst colleagues is also the best approach for HR in preparing for the office Christmas cheer.
Merry Christmas from all of us here at Human Resources.
