The FAQs of Office Parties

Some people love them, but on the flip side there’s a feeling of dread for a lot of others. Office parties certainly cause a split and considering some of the stories that arise out of them each and every year, it’s really no surprise.

In truth, the typical office party is changing somewhat. Once upon a time, everyone cramming into a bar used to be the norm. Now, more inventive solutions are on the menu and you only have to take a look at the likes of teamtactics.co.uk to see that the list of activities is now much broader than a drink at the local.

Regardless of the type of event that your company has organized, you should at least ask yourself some questions before heading on down. Arm yourself with the following to ensure that everything goes to plan and there are no head-turns when you rock up to work the following Monday morning.

What should you wear?

As you’ll find with a lot of these questions, a lot depends on the type of company that you work for. If you work in a completely casual environment, it goes without saying that your life is so much easier.

If you don’t fall into the above category, don’t leave it until the last minute before casting your decision.  When the gathering is straight after work, standard business attire will suffice. If it’s later on, you’ll then have to take a different train of thought. Checking with your coworkers is the best advice – although make sure that your professionalism is never compromised. That’s the top rule.

Should your significant other go?

This can be a tricky one, but the best advice is to treat it as a ‘no’ unless its otherwise stated. The last thing you want is to rock up arm-in-arm with your significant other, only to see that he or she is the only other plus one attending. Not only does it make things awkward for your partner, but it can change the tone of the event if an ‘outsider’ is present.

Who else is going?

There’s plenty of method in this question. If you know who else is going to the event, you can plan your conversations accordingly.

For a lot of people, the dread behind the office party stems from the fact that there are a lot of awkward conversions with people that you rarely talk with. If you at least know who is going, you can have your go-to list of questions.

Of course, if it’s all close co-workers you won’t have any such issues. Then again, if this is the case, you probably wouldn’t have stumbled onto this guide.

Should you dance on the table at the end of the night?

Come on. To end the guide on something of a funny note, it’s a resounding no.

Of course, if you’re in some sort of Wolf of Wall Street environment there might be exceptions. For the most part, don’t even consider it though.