Five Things to Avoid at the Office Christmas Party

When the holidays roll around, we all want to have fun. Christmas is a time for fellowship with friends and family...and of course there are the parties. In the case of the Christmas party at the office, here are five things you should try to avoid if you can.

1. Don't declare your undying love for a coworker at the Christmas party. Hey, some jobs frown on coworkers becoming involved. If one of you is a supervisor and one a subordinate, that can spell disaster or loss of a job for one of you. Besides, the office setting is fraught with political agendas anyway; don't add more fuel to the fire by putting your business out in the open. When one of you is married to someone else, the flies will buzz.

2. Don't declare your undying love for your boss at the Christmas party. When alcohol and sweet feelings get together, the result can be explosive. Many people crush on their boss because they are in a position of power. That is not unheard of. But, a night's indiscretion is a no-no at any time but especially at the office during the Christmas party. Those trysts under the desk or in the coat closet are okay for movies and television soap operas, but not in real life. People get hurt.

3. Don't get sloppy drunk. This goes without saying but people change when they get a taste of alcohol. Everyone feels a little friendlier and decide to have lip locks under the Christmas mistletoe. That new guy looks hot all dolled up in his suit at the party, but don't pursue it. Drinking alcohol releases our inhibitions so we feel free to do what we were thinking about doing all the time. Don't fool yourself. You'll remember it in the morning.

4. Don't get caught on camera. People love to take pictures of everyone in their Christmas garb but what they really want to do is catch someone being naughty. Even raising your skirt to clean off a stain may get a few flashbulbs and a caption that says something about your alcohol content. Be above reproach at least when the camera is around.

5. Avoid the low-cut dress and the hairy chest. These are your coworkers not a group of singles on the prowl. They actually could be both but observe some type of decorum. Letting people ogle your "goodies" at the Christmas party is a sign that you are desperate. That goes for you too, guys, with the first four buttons of your dress shirt open revealing those manly hairs. If you feel the need to let loose, change clothes afterwards and hit the night club.

The office Christmas party is not the time to let your inhibitions run free. Make merry and share some eggnog with your coworkers but leave it at that.