Poll Reveals That Approximately One in Ten People Have Engaged in Career-Damaging Behavior at an Office Celebration
A poll conducted by Monster shows that too much cheer can be dangerous at the office holiday party, as one person in ten admits to having either done something extremely regrettable and been fired because of it (four percent), or acted in a way that was somewhat regrettable and damaged their career/reputation (five percent). But nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of all respondents say they have never done anything regrettable at an office party.
We asked site visitors, “Have you ever done something regrettable at an office party — for example, consumed too much alcohol or spoken offensively to a colleague or superior?” and received 3,699 responses. Here are the United States results:
- Extremely regrettable: I’ve been fired for office-party behaviour: 4 percent
- Somewhat regrettable: I’ve damaged my career/reputation: 3 percent
- Mildly regrettable: I’ve been embarrassed for a few days: 10 percent
- No regrets: I’ve misbehaved, but with no ill effects: 14 percent
- I’ve never done anything regrettable at an office party: 69 percent
And here are the international results:
- Extremely regrettable: I’ve been fired for office-party behaviour: 4 percent
- Somewhat regrettable: I’ve damaged my career/reputation: 5 percent
- Mildly regrettable: I’ve been embarrassed for a few days: 14 percent
- No regrets: I’ve misbehaved, but with no ill effects: 14 percent
- I’ve never done anything regrettable at an office party: 63 percent
Overall, it seems as though Americans have fewer regrets, though the same number have been fired for office-party behavior: four percent. Among international respondents, U.K. residents appear most red in the face, with nine percent answering that they were extremely regretful about their behaviour at an office party; they were closely followed by respondents in Finland (seven percent) and the Netherlands (six percent). At the other end of the spectrum, only two percent of French respondents admitted to being fired because of regrettable behaviour.
Meanwhile, 15 percent of all European respondents answered that they have done something mildly regrettable, causing embarrassment for a few days, followed by Canada (12 percent) and the United States (10 percent). Further, nearly 14 percent of Europeans admitted to having misbehaved at an office party but felt no guilt and experienced no career repercussions, compared with 19 percent of respondents in Canada and 14 percent of respondents in the United States.
An overwhelming number of respondents in Italy (82 percent), France (80 percent), and Germany (75 percent) answered that they had never done anything regrettable at an office party.
“Workplace holiday parties are a great opportunity to build morale and camaraderie among work colleagues, but people should keep in mind that usual codes of professional conduct apply. It’s a party, yes, but it’s happening in a professional realm,” says Charles Purdy, Monster.com career expert. “I recommend that people attending workplace parties plan to limit alcohol intake, and that they look at the event as a chance to network and socialise with colleagues and managers that they don’t otherwise have a lot of contact with. Look for opportunities to impress your peers — not to distress them.”
For tips on how to behave at your office holiday party, read:
