There’s always someone.
Someone who takes it just that little bit too far at the company Christmas party.
As a person who might have organised a few Christmas dos in your time, you can probably recall cringe-worthy moments when one of your team did something foolish. At the same time, you probably felt a wave of relief that the certain someone wasn’t you.
Here are just a few of the ways people have embarrassed themselves at end-of-year parties over the years. While they might be a bit of fun, they also remind us of the need to be responsible hosts when the Christmas spirit is flowing at the end of the year!
The photocopier, of course: Many a drunk man has thought that photocopying their private parts at the Christmas party is an excellent idea. But in the case of a very drunk and huge man in the UK, who decided to photocopy his more than ample backside, it was an excruciating idea. To get a decent photocopied image of all that posterior, he had to sit on the glass cover, which promptly broke. This collapse left the poor gentleman’s midsection trapped inside the photocopier’s internal workings. An ambulance was called to pry him out. They’re still removing splinters as we speak. Bummer.
Answering the call of nature from on high: This one comes to us from our trans-Tasman neighbours. At one Christmas party, an inebriated employee at an IT company in Australia decided he needed to spend a penny – while standing on the balcony of a city bar. The people enjoying some alfresco dining on the street below weren’t impressed, and neither was the man’s boss who sacked his, um, Number One employee.
Pick on anyone but the boss: What is it about IT guys and Christmas parties? Stories abound about another IT employee who stole food from other people’s plates, smashed glasses on the floor for no reason, and then challenged someone to a fistfight. That someone was the company’s CEO. The police arrived, and he challenged them to a fight as well. They declined the offer but did agree to arrest him, at about the same time the CEO sacked him.
He REALLY didn’t like the silly Christmas tie: Finally, one very intoxicated staff member walked up to the company’s sales manager, sliced off the poor man’s festive snowman tie using a pocket knife, and then strolled away like it was nothing. Unfortunately, the sales manager was talking to the owners of the company at that exact moment. We assume the tipsy one’s career was cut short – a bit like that tie.
If it’s up to you to organise this year’s staff Christmas function, we have plenty of ideas for you. They suit all needs, budgets and sizes, ranging from racing simulators in the office, lawns bowls with at one of our amazing central city bowls clubs or an amazing race around the city. As for suspicious activities involving photocopiers, that is something we don’t specialise in. But for just about everything else, get in touch!