It’s that time of year again, holiday music is blaring, Christmas jumpers are on display and the Christmas office party is soon approaching. It’s only fitting that you celebrate the most festive time of the year with work colleagues you spend most of your time with outside of family and friends.

Let’s face it, Christmas is a popular time of year for men and women to hook up and spread a different kind of cheer. With that much Christmas entertainment, lapse of judgement can come into play.

Getting down

A survey by Business Insider, shown a third of people revealed they’d slept with a co-worker after the annual Christmas party, while 60 per cent said they’d gone for a snog.

Meanwhile, two million Brits have admitted to hooking up with an office crush, while a survey of 1,168 office workers in England discovered that 48 per cent admitted they would go all the way with a co-worker during or after an office Christmas party.

Those aged 25-34 were the most lucky to get lucky, with a presumptuous six per cent even considering booking a hotel room to continue the festive flirtation.

Letting loose

A spokesperson from Hotels.com mobile app, who conducted the survey, said: ‘It’s understandable that hard-working Brits want to let their hair down and the Christmas party is the perfect opportunity for this to happen. However, if you do find yourself getting into an embarrassing situation, having a phone handy can help get you away quickly and easily- from booking a cab to finding a hotel at the click of a button.’

If you plan on seducing the hot guy from the graphic design department or the cute girl down in HR, don’t let your drunken escapade at the Christmas party turn into a night of serious regret. Follow these dos and don’ts for a festive night:

If you plan on seducing the hot guy from the graphic design department or the cute girl down in HR, don’t let your drunken escapade at the Christmas party turn into a night of serious regret.

Do’s

  1. Have a game plan! Weird things happen after a night of drinking a ton of champagne/wine. You don’t know where the moment will hit, so be prepared. Have a designated place to go- preferably out of the office- and stick to it!
  2. Check your References. If you’ve got a specific crush, double check with a colleague that they are single. The ‘he/she never told me’ defence won’t hold up the day after.
  3. Be discreet! No matter how tempting, no excessive touching or flirting. Make sure that the both of you are clear on your boundaries, before anything serious goes down. You don’t want your drunken moment to become office fodder the next day.
  4. Keep your head up. Despite the ranging hangover you might have, make sure to make it to work bright and early.
  5. Protect yourself! It’s fine to indulge, just make sure you have a condom that would make your Christmas romp safe, as well as pleasurable.

A couple in bed with a Durex condom

Dont's

  1. Don’t hook up with your boss! Not everyone at work is on an equal playing field, and your boss is one of them. It’s a dangerous game and despite it being a work party, you have to still work there.
  2. Don’t do it in the office! There’s a huge chance that you can get caught and you don’t want to find a video or photo of you circulating on social media before New Year’s Day.
  3. Don’t drink too much. There is no designated drink limit, but remember this is not a regular party and your antics can become the office gossip the next morning. So enjoy yourself but don’t overdo it.
  4. Don’t avoid whoever it is that you hooked up with, not only will it be awkward but it may create unnecessary tension and bring unwarranted attention to you.

Go for it, but be aware of what lies ahead. Make sure that your casual office romance doesn’t affect either your personal or professional life.