Almost One in Ten Britons Has Been Fired or Disciplined Following A Work Christmas Party
New research has revealed that as many as 9% of Britons have been sacked or faced disciplinary action following their antics at a work Christmas party, and a further 8% have voluntarily left their role in the wake of their own or someone else’s behaviour during the celebrations.
Britons are getting a little bit too carried away at their work Christmas parties it seems, with two thirds (65%) admitting to having drunk too much alcohol at a work Christmas do and the majority of these stating that it impacted their behaviour in a negative way.
A study was undertaken by the team behind the hangover supplement www.AfterDrink.com, in which 2,194 people aged 18 or over were polled. All respondents disclosed that they have previously attended at least one work Christmas party.
Initially, all participants were asked if they had got drunk at a work Christmas do, and 89% revealed that they had. When asked if they thought that they had drunk too much alcohol at the work party, 65% admitted that they had and most of these said it had affected their behaviour in a negative way.
Next, participants were asked if they had done something embarrassing in front of their boss at a work Christmas party previously, and almost half of respondents (45%) said that they had.
When asked if their actions at a previous work Christmas party had led to their dismissal or disciplinary action, 9% of respondents said that this was the case for them. When asked what the causes of dismissal or disciplinary action were, the top five reasons were revealed to be:
- Said something inappropriate about/to a boss or colleague –– 23%
- Got into a verbal/physical fight with a colleague/boss– 21%
- Got caught doing drugs – 16%
- Got caught having sex with a colleague – 14%
- Inappropriate behaviour (nudity/lude comments etc.) – 11%
What’s more, 4% of the respondents revealed that they had been sacked or disciplined for throwing up on their boss.
Participants were next asked if they had ever voluntarily left a job following a Christmas party (i.e. of their own accord/not prompted or encourage to), and 8% revealed that they had. The top reasons for this were revealed to be ‘kissed/had sex with a colleague and couldn’t face working with them anymore’ (29%), ‘acted in a really embarrassing way’ (21%) and ‘said something embarrassing to a boss’ (14%).
All respondents were asked if they planned on going to a work Christmas party this year, and 79% revealed that they were. Relevant participants were then asked if they were planning on getting drunk, and the majority (62%) said that they were.
Commenting on the findings of the study Pedram Kordrostami, Founder of www.AfterDrink.com said:
“Christmas work parties are well known for heavy drinking and doing embarrassing things in front of colleagues. It’s important to pace yourself when drinking, especially at work parties, where the results of being too drunk can have serious consequences beyond just dented pride.”
