- Office Christmas parties remain a major trigger for workplace fallouts and disciplinary action
- Leading UK psychiatrist reports spike in January patients dealing with alcohol-fuelled regret
- Mindful drinking key to avoiding career-damaging mistakes this festive season
As the festive party season gets into full swing, a leading UK psychiatrist is urging employees to think twice about how much they drink at office Christmas parties, warning that alcohol-fuelled behaviour can have lasting professional consequences.
Dr Niall Campbell, a consultant psychiatrist specialising in addiction treatment at Priory Hospital Roehampton, says he sees a sharp increase every January and February in patients seeking help after office parties “go horribly wrong”.
While media reports regularly indicate that ‘Gen Z’ are turning away from alcohol and alcohol-free drinks are becoming more commonplace, Dr Campbell warns that the annual Christmas ‘do’ still often involves free bars, peer pressure and pent-up workplace frustrations which can cause even normally moderate drinkers to lose control – with potentially damaging repercussions for their careers.
Dr Campbell says: “The whole point of the Christmas night out is to have a good time with colleagues after a year of stress and hard work. But many people go into these events not intending to have just one drink – they intend to get very drunk because it feels like part of the occasion.
“But excessive alcohol consumption can significantly weaken our inhibitions. Even those who planned to drink moderately can quickly lose control due to peer pressure, a free bar, or simply the sheer pace of drinking. Unfortunately, that’s when people can end up in embarrassing or regrettable situations, particularly if they drink to blackout levels.”
Statistics by alcohol harm charity DrinkAware highlight how almost two-thirds (64%) of UK drinkers intend to drink more alcohol over Christmas than they typically would at other times of the year.
Dr Campbell says the major shift in recent years is that workplace behaviour is now far more closely scrutinised and documented than ever before.
“The big change with office Christmas parties in recent years is that behaviour is routinely recorded on smartphones and shared across social media. Incidents that might once have been laughed off can now be captured, circulated and escalated in no time at all.
“We are all held far more accountable for our actions, and social events are no exception. Behaviour at a Christmas party is now more likely than ever before to lead to formal complaints, disciplinary action or even dismissal.”
He adds that his post-Christmas caseload regularly includes employees, including senior executives, who have publicly criticised colleagues or management, aired workplace grievances, or behaved in ways they never would while sober.
“It’s not just junior staff. I often see very senior people whose behaviour has crossed a line and who are then required by HR to seek professional help.”
Dr Campbell believes ‘mindful drinking’ is key to enjoying celebrations without sacrificing professionalism and believes simple steps taken before the party can make all the difference.
His top tips for staying in control this festive season include:
- Plan ahead:Decide in advance how many units you will drink and stick to your ‘safe’ limit.
- Hydrate early:Start the evening with water or a non-alcoholic drink and continue to alternate alcoholic with non-alcoholic drinks throughout the evening, otherwise known as ‘zebra striping’.
- Avoid autopilot drinking:Drink intentionally or have a clear strategy if you choose not to drink. Mentally rehearse how you’ll handle peer pressure. A good idea is to prepare a plausible excuse, such as being the designated driver, or currently taking antibiotics, to politely decline a drink.
- Choose low or non-alcoholic options.
- Avoid doubles and shots, which are unnecessary and rapidly increase intoxication.
- Eat early:Drinking on an empty stomach intensifies alcohol’s effects, so be sure to eat before any event that will involve alcohol.
- Buddy up:Team up with a trusted colleague so you can keep each other in check and agree to leave together if things start to get out of control.
- Set a curfew:Decide in advance when you’ll leave and stick to it.
Dr Campbell stresses that festive celebrations should be enjoyable, but not at the cost of long-term damage.
“By all means, enjoy yourself,” he says. “But remember that how you behave at the office party can follow you well into the New Year. A little planning and mindful drinking can prevent months – or even years – of regret.”
