Revealed: One in four professionals dread the office Christmas party

The festive season is here and that can only mean one thing – the work Christmas party! Yet a new study suggests not everyone is cock-a-hoop about the festive jamboree.

A new survey of 1,300 UK professionals by jobs and recruitment website CV-Library suggests that over one in four (27.3%) professionals admit to dreading the office party.

This figure increased to almost a third (31.4%) amongst those aged 45-54. The survey also found that one in four (24.5%) confessed to often getting drunk at these events.

What's more, over one in 10 (12.8%) confessed to have made a fool of themselves as a result, with this figure rising increasing to 16.7% amongst 35-44 year-olds.

The top causes for post-Christmas party embarrassment include:

• Embarrassing yourself dancing – 31.4%
• Kissing one of your colleagues – 25.9%
• Throwing up in front of people – 20.5%
• Spilling your drink everywhere – 18.4%
• Falling over in front of your co-workers – 16.2

However despite these blunders, over half (59.4%) admit that they do enjoy these events, and 39.8% said that their employer does put a lot of effort into preparing the work Christmas party.

The survey also asked respondents whether they get dressed up for the Christmas party, with 54.8% saying that they do. That said, one in 10 (10.9%) confessed that they don't enjoy doing so. Interestingly, over half (58.9%) said that they would not dress more conservatively than normal, despite this being a work event.

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director CV-Library, said: "The Christmas party is a great opportunity to celebrate the festive season. As such, it's a shame to see that so many workers are becoming nervous beforehand, especially given that it's supposed to be a fun event for staff to let their hair down.

"If you're organising a Christmas party for your workforce, try to get feedback on the types of activities they enjoy, this could help to reduce their pre-party nerves. Also, ensure that if you're serving alcohol there is food available, otherwise employees could risk becoming too drunk. But most importantly, put thought into your event and show your employees how much you appreciate their hard work throughout the year."

CV-Library also shares its top tips to Christmas party success:

1. Make an effort: This is a chance to celebrate the festive season and a year of hard work. Even if you don't have the biggest budget, do your best with what you've got. Put thought into your Christmas party and show your staff you appreciate their loyalty and hard work.

2. Remain professional: Just because you are no longer in the office, this doesn't mean you shouldn't act professionally. Avoid office gossip and certainly don't divulge any confidential information. This is especially important when you're the boss!

3. Set a dress code: To avoid any potentially embarrassing situations or inappropriate outfits, set a dress code for your staff – even if it's a very loose one. Smart/casual or sparkles normal do the trick!

4. Make sure there's food: If there's alcohol, there also needs to be food. Parties can often lead to a few too many rounds of drinks and food is a great way to keep staff safe and within their limits.

5. Don't talk shop: And finally, you may be surrounded by people from work – but try to avoid talking about it. Leave work at the office and encourage staff to enjoy themselves and blow off some steam!