Kiss goodbye to that peck under mistletoe – office Christmas party tradition is at risk after MeToo 

Kiss goodbye to that peck under mistletoe – office Christmas party tradition is at risk after MeToo

  • The average Brit hopes to spend less than two hours at the work Christmas party
  • Almost half of office staff believe being tipsy in front of a boss is unprofessional 
  • The poll found six in 10 people have had to contribute to their own Christmas do

Huddling under the mistletoe for a festive kiss is a staple of the office Christmas party.

But the tradition is at risk of dying out as workers say it no longer feels appropriate in the age of MeToo.

According to a survey of office staff, almost three-quarters would never dream of suggesting a peck for fear of landing in hot water with personnel chiefs. 

Twenty one percent believe that any kind of speech from the boss is a no-no. And as many as 16 percent said enforced party games were tiresome and the same number said designating someone from the office as the DJ was embarrassing [File photo]

And it seems plenty of other so-called traditions are at risk in these PC times. 

Almost half believe being tipsy in front of a boss is unprofessional and might get them in trouble, while 28 per cent insisted they have never considered using the office photocopier inappropriately.

Overall, as many as 86 per cent of workers feel the stereotypically badly-behaved office Christmas party is now a thing of the past. 

The study of 2,000 by hotel chain Jury’s Inn found only 15 per cent of these parties will be held in the office this year, with the majority taking place in restaurants and pubs.

In fact, the average Brit hopes to spend less than two hours at their work Christmas party, with 29 per cent resenting the fact they have to spend free time with their colleagues.

Twenty one percent believe that any kind of speech from the boss is a no-no.

And as many as 16 percent said enforced party games were tiresome and the same number said designating someone from the office as the DJ was embarrassing.

The poll also found that six in 10 people have had to contribute to their own Christmas do, coughing up an average of £34.

The tradition is at risk of dying out as workers say it no longer feels appropriate in the age of MeToo. According to a survey of office staff, almost three-quarters would never dream of suggesting a peck for fear of landing in hot water with personnel chiefs [File photo]

The tradition is at risk of dying out as workers say it no longer feels appropriate in the age of MeToo. According to a survey of office staff, almost three-quarters would never dream of suggesting a peck for fear of landing in hot water with personnel chiefs [File photo]

And four in ten have been told at some point that their firm cannot have a Christmas party because they have not performed well enough throughout the year.

Suzanne Cannon, from Jurys Inn and Leonardo Hotels UK and Ireland, said: ‘It’s a shame so many people don’t enjoy their office Christmas parties these days. They should be a huge celebration of the year gone by which everyone looks forward to.

‘Getting out of the office environment is key to people feeling like they can relax and enjoy themselves.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk