Are you dreading your work Christmas party?

Can't stand the idea of going to your work Christmas party? If so, you're not alone.
TeamSport says it has identified the top Christmas party personalities. Picture: TeamSportTeamSport says it has identified the top Christmas party personalities. Picture: TeamSport
TeamSport says it has identified the top Christmas party personalities. Picture: TeamSport

One in six people dread their work Christmas party, with nearly 20 per cent of UK adults admitting to lying to try and avoid it, according to a recent study.

The survey of more than 1,000 UK adults, commissioned by indoor go-karting company TeamSport, 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.

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Although 24 per cent of people think Christmas parties are a good way of socialising with colleagues, the study says, 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.

Notorious for drunken drama, 11 per cent of people confess to kissing someone at a work Christmas party and as many as one in ten adults in some cities admit to getting in an argument.

From these confessions and office party grumbles, TeamSport says it has identified the top Christmas party personalities which appear every year:

The bad dancer - the one who thinks they can dance like Beyoncé after one too many, but actually ends up looking like David Brent.

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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.

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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 www.team-sport.co.uk/bruces-blog/christmas-party-cringes.

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