Christmas and the New Year are approaching, and with them also a series of work parties. Excessive drinking, inappropriate situations with colleagues and superiors are often the reason why many people do not dare to look their colleagues in the eye the day after the party.
Although in theory it should be a time for fun and relaxation, “having too much fun” due to free drinks can lead to an embarrassing situation that can damage your business reputation. Inappropriate courtship, excessive drinking, fights and property damage on the premises - these are just some of the situations that can occur and are not looked upon with approval by the management.
Flirting with colleagues, kisses and affairs
Assuming you're both single, flirting isn't that controversial. It becomes controversial if both have partners. Doing this in the workplace can seriously hurt your viewing, no matter what workplace you are in. If you want to maintain your reputation, it's best to be very careful about the amount of alcohol you drink, so you don't end up getting drunk with your colleagues in the evening.
If you find yourself in a situation illegal office affairs, I strongly suggest that you ask those colleagues who are aware of the incident to withhold this information and ask the other person involved to do so. Try to tone down the gossip by all means and try to avoid any conversation about it. If people have seen you, try to be honest with them, but move on quickly and think about how comfortable you'll feel in the office in the long run.
You say something inappropriate
Alcohol loosens the tongue, and in this state it can cut like a razor and put everyone in an uncomfortable situation. Especially at a business party, where you can say a lot of unwanted things. Workplace tensions or opinions about different people or situations often come to the fore. Inappropriate comments are very common at business Christmas parties.
It could be making questionable statements about someone's appearance, expressing opinions about a co-worker's job performance, or making comments about sensitive topics such as sexual preferences or comments of a sexual nature, which were most often unsolicited and inappropriate.
Relationship experts advise that you consciously prepare for the party, especially which topics and people you should avoid, so that such potential disputes do not arise. If you say something which you regret and rumors start to circulate around the office, the best advice to restore your reputation is to be honest and resolve the issue. Admit that you made a mistake and offer a sincere apology to those affected.
Destruction of property
Inappropriate behavior, rudeness to staff and damage to other people's property can occur at work parties. A company can become public knowledge after causing problems.
The best way to try to save your reputation is to personally take on the cost of repairing the damage to the rented space, or if you have been rude or aggressive to someone in the space, make sure your co-workers know you.
Physical billing with colleagues
Unfortunately, many people end up in a drunken state quite aggressive and this problem very often leads to the activation of human resources, especially when senior management is involved, and this is really not something that you would expect from someone in a leadership position. Companies don't want their reputations to be ruined by violent employees.
If you find yourself in this situation, I advise you to do everything in your power to fix the problem yourself before HR calls you.
Inappropriate photos
At the end of the day, you have to think, do I really want to get that drunk at a business event? Is it worth the trouble it can and most likely will cause? Both you and the company can be shown in a bad light due to inappropriate or judgmental photos, videos.
How to protect your reputation in advance?
A considerable number companies tries to take pre-determined measures to prevent inappropriate behavior of employees at the Christmas party. The advice would be for company management to send a clear message to all employees about expected professional behavior. If you feel it is necessary, you can enforce a rule that prohibits the use of mobile phones during the party or the posting of any content on the Internet from the party.
The best advice for employees is to seriously consider whether a few hours of excessive drinking at a Christmas party and possible bad behavior is worth the regret and long-term damage to your reputation? Also think about what you write in group chats or post on your profile from the Christmas party. Such data may harm you in the future.
