Policing the office Christmas party isn’t an easy job for HR. We’re sure you’ve got some stories to share with us so in the spirit of yuletide cheer we’re offering a bottle of champagne to the most amusing office party tale.
Whether it was a ‘Bridget-Jones’ karaoke nightmare, a ten-to-two romance with a colleague or telling your boss just what you think of them – then share it with us.
The most outrageous story will win!
Just post your story below and remember you can use the anonymous function if you’re feeling shy. Good luck!
Competition closes on Friday 24 December 2004.
9 Responses
Christmas Party Clangers
I was talking to a colleague from another company this morning about their Christmas party which had been planned for last night. The HR Manager had decided to employ a temp to organise the event (good move, it’s just too much hassle). The temp appeared to be doing a sterling job; organising the venue, entertainment, catering, invites etc. and all within budget.
Being a temp, the HR Manager had also decided that although she’d organised the event, she couldn’t attend as the budget only allowed for permanent staff (er, bad move).
Having been a bit upset about not being invited and without telling anyone, the temp cancelled the whole thing.
So in dribs and drabs, 160 people arrive at the venue only to be told there was no Christmas party.
Xmas Party Clangers
A few years ago I was at our annual Christmas Party. The drinks were flowing well, the FD went round refilling everybody’s wine and I thought I was quite sober until I got into the taxi to go home with the Managing Director (who was dropping me off on his way home). I fell asleep in the back of the taxi and couldn’t remember where I lived. We drove around for for over 2 hours looking for my house (at 2am in the morning). I won’t repeat any of the comments I got the next day but at the following year’s party I had to put a piece of paper with my address on in my handbag!
Most embarrassing Christmas Clanger?
Mine?
As a newbie graduate trainee, encouraged to introduce ourselves to those we did not know, on seeing an elderly gentleman all on his own in a corner, and seemingly quite out of place:
“Hello!”, said I, all smiles and bonhomie. “Why don’t you circulate and meet some of the rest of us? You don’t have to be shy and stick in a corner you know!”
He replied: “How nice to meet you. I am a Security Guard and I’d be glad if you left me alone.”
Which was probably more excusable than when I had a similar experience somewhat later in the States at a ‘families’ Christmas party.
“Aha!” said I, with great aplomb, to a VP I hardly knew, with young boy in tow. “This must be your son? Gosh, he looks so like you!”
“No”, he replied, sternly. “I am his step-father…”
Which may beat a later but similar conversation in Germany at a Christmas event where the very eminent Chairman appeared to say he had arrived on a bicycle (his ‘fahrrad’), on which news I was somewhat surprised and so I congratulated him enthusiastically, for taking the exercise and setting such a wonderful example to the rest of us.
“I think you misunderstand me”, he said, sternly. “I came with my *Fahrer*!” (‘Fahrer’, so like ‘Fahrrad’ over a few drinks, is German for a ‘driver’.)
Nowadays, I try to keep my mouth shut at Christmas Parties, see all and say nowt, and just smile benignly….
Happy Christmas one and all!
Jeremy
Christmas Pressie Embarrassment
I was at our work xmas party some years ago and each table had a “party box” with a few random gifts in. I decided I would take a plastic snake home for my boyfriend (seemed like a good idea at the time) so tucked it away somewhere safe so that I couldn’t lose it. A bit later, and a little worse for wear, I decided to tackle my boss’s boss about his micro-management style and proceeded to launch into a 15 minute monologue about how we needed more RESPONSIBILITY and more ACCOUNTABILITY (all emphasised with some finger pointing). Part way through he looked at me and said “Jo, I’m sorry, I’m going to have to stop you there – you appear to have a plastic snake in your cleavage…”
Christmas Fun
My moment involved a senior manager, a tea tray and 6 flights of stairs. The manager decided it would be great fun to slide down the staircase of our local nightclub on a tray previously filled with canapes!
Sliding down the stairs, not realising there were no brakes, he ploughed straight into the wall at the bottom.
2 police cars, an ambulance and a very angry MD followed, as well as a diagnosis of a broken wrist – Needless to say he was quickly transferred to another department for “strategic reasons”
Reaching the 9pm watershed
For my first ever work xmas party (well, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it) I was “forced” to down a glass of wine in a rather reckless show of work bonhomie and even before I got to the main course of the meal I had to be deposited into a taxi by my boss because I couldn’t see straight. He even (very kindly considering) paid the taxi driver in advance to take me home and I was home by 9pm!
High party girl
One year I was temping and banned from the office Xmas do because my manager was still embarrased about the behaviour of a temp the previous yr. She turned up at a black-tie do in a bikini top, suspected to be high on ecstasy, and snogged various men on the dancefloor. She was never seen again!
Caught at it
At my previous firm, I recall that following the firm’s annual Xmas party, two individuals who were getting on rather well returned to the office for some privacy and fun. They decided that the most sensible and exciting place would be the basement car park. Little did they know, but the firm had recently installed a sophisticated CCTV system and the entire event was caught on film.
Obviously word spread of their activities and it wasn’t long until the entire firm knew! Suffice to say there were a couple of red faces at the next company gathering!
Bucking bronco hilarity
A bucking bronco proved too much for my colleague who a little worse off for alcohol managed to split his trousers, fall off and throw up – almost all at the same time!