An office party is the one time where everyone you work with gets to let their hair down! You get to mingle with people and departments from your office that you’d usually not end up crossing paths with on a day-to-day basis. It’s the perfect informal setting that most of us look forward to! That being said, there are a few unspoken rules of an office party, that we tend to forget every now and then. So, here are 5 such things that you really shouldn’t do at an office party!

1. Don’t drink more than you can handle.

Just because the booze is on the house, doesn’t mean you have to make sure you empty the entire bar. Something a lot of people are guilty of is drinking a lot more than you can actually handle. By all means, drink, but drink responsibly! The last thing you or anyone else wants is someone falling about, barfing and creating a scene. Most of us have been drunk at some point or the other but the key is knowing where to draw that line. Honestly, you’d be better off going home and going to sleep, than having people come up to you the next day telling you about all your antics.

2. Don’t vent your work frustration.

It’s essential to remember that an office party is the one place where people can get away from everything work-related. The last thing anyone wants is someone venting about their work when everyone just wants to chill. You need to know that there is a time and a place for everything and an office event, just isn’t it! So maybe, just wait for the next day?

3. Don’t stuff your face in your phone.

Being anti-social isn’t going to win you any brownie points either. If you wanted to be glued to your phone, you might as well have stayed home or just cancelled. An office party is a perfect time to get to know everyone you work with. So use the time to socialise and get to know other people. While you don’t have to be hopping all over the place, being glued to your phone comes across as rude.

4. Don’t say you’re going and then cancel last minute.

An office party takes a lot of time, planning and effort to put together. So, if you’re not sure or don’t want to go, just be clear about it from the start. Saying you’re going to go and then canning at the last second is pretty rude and often times reflects poorly.

5. Don’t be over-friendly or unfriendly either.

There is a fine line between being OTT and a straight-up prude. If you don’t know what that balance is, here’s some help to figure it out. Don’t be up in everyone’s business and their faces all the time. It’s just annoying. If it’s the first time you’re meeting people, play it calm and play it slow. Don’t behave like you’ve known them for aeons. Similarly, sitting in the corner giving people the dirts ain’t going to do you any favours either. Be respectful of people’s space and understand the balance of conversation.

What is the one thing you’d never do at an office party? Let us know in the comments below.

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