The Company Christmas Party

Its that time of year again, and everyone you know is throwing some kind of Christmas party. We know how busy the holiday season can be with all the decorating, shopping and holiday cheering going on, but no matter how busy you are, youre going to have to make time to attend at least one holiday bash your company Christmas party.

So what do you need to know about attending your company Christmas party Angela MacArthur from Christmas Lights and Decorations.com has a few handy tips. Gone are the days of the raucous corporate Christmas affair where booze flowed freely and employees and bosses alike often behaved less than professionally, says MacArthur.
Todays corporate Christmas parties are well structured affairs with a set of unwritten rules of etiquette.

Whether its a simple get together in the office cafeteria, an evening of cocktail and hors Doeuvres or a formal seven course meal at a conference center, youll find that the same set of professional etiquette dos and donts apply.

Company Christmas Party Dos:
DO tailor your attire to the venue. No matter where the party is being held its never appropriate to dress in overly revealing or sloppy clothing. Dress in a professional manner; business casual is a good bet for most celebrations. However, your invitation and the event location should give hints to the formality of your attire.
DO watch how much you drink. Most people will admit that their most embarrassing moments have occurred while under the influence of alcohol. You do not want to have an alcohol-induced embarrassing moment in the company of your coworkers and higher-ups. Consider this as you reach for that third or fourth glass of wine.
DO mingle. Youre trying to let the people you work with see a side of you they usually miss your personal side. Show them how fun and interesting you can be! If youre shy, consider coming up with conversation starters before you arrive. If everyone is dancing; join in! If you act like a wall flower youre going to miss out on important relationship building and networking opportunities!

Company Christmas Party Donts:
DONT discuss anything controversial. You dont want to spend the whole night discussing work, but you also dont want to broach anything that relates to religion or politics. The last thing you want to do is start an argument or make someone uncomfortable, so be aware of sensitive topics.
DONT be condescending to anyone. Now isnt the time to demonstrate to your spouse or your boss that youre a corporate power player. Treat everyone as youd like to be treated and leave your power plays for the office.
DONT be the last to leave. You need to make an appearance but you dont want to burden your hosts. Dont try to close out the bar unless youre prepared to help clean up or drive people home.

No one will ever declare that the company Christmas party is an obligatory work
function, but you really should consider it as such. Says MacArthur, By skipping the company Christmas party youre suggesting that the organization you work for isnt important to you and that you dont possess the same commitment to the company as other employees who took the time to attend.

Your absence will most definitely be noticed by those who matter, so think of the company Christmas celebration as a way to network your way to the top. Even if youre only going to make a short appearance (and short means a minimum of one hour!) you should certainly take the time to show up and make merry with your co-workers.