Bursting with stale mince pies and bad music, these traditionally alcohol-fuelled events fill so many with fear that 19 per cent of people have lied to try and avoid them.
The independent survey of over 1,000 UK adults, also suggests that women are more likely to lie and avoid their Christmas party, with 20 per cent confessing to telling a little white lie compared to 16 per cent of men.
Although 24 per cent of people think Christmas parties are a good way of socialising with colleagues, many are filled with dread as their usual tea-break buddy transforms into the office flirt after indulging in too many free drinks and festive cheer.
Common occurrences at office parties include overly flirtatious banter, the drunk boss, passing out and being crowned the lightweight of the party, or busting out David Brent-style dance moves.
These experiences are echoed across the UK, as 11 per cent of people confess to kissing someone and as many as one in ten adults in some cities admit to getting in an argument at their work Christmas party.
But the embarrassment and turmoil doesn’t stop there for many party goers, as 1 in 12 people in Edinburgh admit to waking up to embarrassing photos on social media.
The bad dancer – The one who thinks they can dance like Beyoncé after one too many, but actually ends up looking like David Brent.
The lightweight – The person who indulges in one too many Christmas tipples and ends up asleep in the corner an hour into the party.
The drunk boss – The one who usually lets their hair down the most, much to the amusement of the rest of the company.
The office flirt -The usually quiet colleague who truly comes out of their shell and outrageously flirts with anyone around them.
The checker inner – The person who is always connected to Facebook and checks everyone in at the party.
The driver – The one who spends the whole night drinking orange juice and regrets driving as they worry about who they will be driving home at the end of the night.
Fiona Tayler, Corporate Events Manager at TeamSport Indoor Karting said: “Many workplaces will host a Christmas party centred around alcohol and food for their employees, but this new research indicates that people do not actually enjoy these festive celebrations as much as they should.
“A Christmas party is a time to celebrate and socialise with work colleagues, so perhaps employers need to find alternatives to the traditional celebrations and break away from the norm.
“By offering new ways of socialising through fun activities and adding a competitive element, employees can engage in new experiences together, encouraging the development of new relationships and help team building.”
To read more about TeamSport’s party personas, visit: https://www.team-sport.co.uk/b
