Company Christmas Party Without Regret: These Tips Help Avoid Pitfalls

Caution: What happens at a Christmas party rarely stays there. Anyone who makes a faux pas must expect the whole company to know about it. Therefore, the Chamber of Labor Upper Austria advises adhering to a few rules of good taste.

Some love them, others hate the company Christmas party. And it also raises some questions: Do I have to go? How do I behave correctly? Is alcohol allowed if it is otherwise prohibited? Are we all good friends by the end of the evening? To prevent the Christmas party from becoming an embarrassment, the Chamber of Labor Upper Austria has some helpful tips.

First: Attend!

First: Attend! Whether the department head invites you to a small mulled wine gathering with cookies or the company management invites you to the big company Christmas party, it does not look good if you decline the invitation without a valid reason. On the contrary: You can seize the opportunity to chat with superiors and colleagues in a somewhat more relaxed atmosphere than usual.

If the celebration takes place at the express invitation or even instruction of the boss during working hours, the time is generally a gift from the company and must also be paid. If a company invites you to a Christmas party outside of working hours, participation is voluntary and unpaid. This applies, for example, to an evening visit to a local venue. By the way, there is no general right to a company Christmas party.

Tips for the Company Christmas Party

Even though Christmas parties are meant to be a time to be a bit more relaxed once a year: They are not an occasion to behave too casually or even inappropriately. Making a faux pas can damage your professional reputation. Therefore, the Chamber of Labor advises:

- Appropriate Clothing: It's better to first ask what is customary in the company than to make a fool of yourself with reindeer antlers or angel wings. The motto is: Dress up, but don't overdo it.

- Alcohol in Moderation: One glass too many loosens the tongue and self-control. Those who overstep the mark risk even being dismissed.

- Harmless Cheerfulness: Nothing is more boring than talking about work even at the party. Feel free to share funny anecdotes, but spare yourself and others stories about recent party excesses, your marital crisis, or your debt status.

- No Innuendos: Not only at the Christmas party are sexist remarks or dancing with daring closeness absolute no-gos. Even if you don't lose your job, you will at least remain the number one gossip topic for a few days, weeks, or even months.

- On First-Name Terms with the Boss: If the boss offers you to be on first-name terms late in the evening, it's worth waiting to see if it still applies the next day.

"We don't want to spoil anyone's fun. Christmas parties are important for team cohesion, the atmosphere in the company, and looking back together on the almost completed work year. But there are a few pitfalls that should definitely be avoided to maintain a good relationship with colleagues and superiors the next day," says AK President Andreas Stangl.

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