It’s that time of year when everyone gathers in the pantry – or anywhere there’s ample space in the office – for some merry-making and cheer. Some use the annual occasion to let loose and free themselves from work-related stress. Unfortunately, a few go over the top with their behavior and regret their actions the next day when they have sobered up.
Statistically, these are not rare occurrences at all. A report on workplace holiday parties revealed that 23% of office partygoers know people who were reprimanded due to their party-related behavior. Meanwhile, 14% know someone who was fired. This list takes you on a deep dive into the hilarious and embarrassing stories behind these unbelievable numbers. Read on, and make sure you never make the same mistakes these people did!
Who’s The Boss?
Office parties seem incomplete if the boss isn’t there, but these employees see things differently. They either forgot to invite their boss or made an effort to ensure he wouldn’t be there. Unfortunately, the man found out about the shindig and decided to show up uninvited.
When he did, the room fell dead silent, but not for long. One employee described his boss as “super mad” when he walked into the room. Did he fire anyone? We hope not! If he fired people over a missed invite, he’d be a real party pooper.
Photo Bomber
Party photo booths are fun! But some take that fun a little too far. This Twitter poster shared a story about a co-worker who regretted the way they enjoyed the night in the office party photo booth. To be fair, there should have been a sign that informed everyone that all pictures would be posted on Facebook.
If this Twitter user’s coworker was aware that the images would be made public, they might not have mooned the camera. Everyone could have been spared from seeing something they’d have to repress for years and then eventually bring up in therapy.
Brownie Points Lost Because Of Brownies
When this woman started her story with, “So my manager brought brownies,” it became obvious where the anecdote was going. Can you take a guess? And yes, the story ends with someone giggling uncontrollably.
As expected, her manager brought a plate of brownies for a potluck party. Unfortunately, it was the wrong kind. They discovered the mistake when a director of operations ate a piece and was giggling thirty minutes after eating it. Fortunately, there were enough stoners in the office to finish up the plate without anyone else getting out of control.
The Potato Emergency
Christmas parties and potatoes usually don’t go together, and this story demonstrates why. The union of these two forces did not produce a happily-ever-after situation. This Twitter user went to her dad’s Christmas party and saw her father’s boss remove a bolt from one of the food trays.
Reddit.com/jojewels92
Everything was fine until the tray unintentionally hit a small bump, and 50 pounds of mashed potatoes flew into the air and landed everywhere. But wait, there’s more! The boss slipped in the creamy mess and landed in the spillage face-first. The insightful realization from this incident was that emergency dentists are difficult to find at night after an office Christmas party.
Crashing A Party – Literally
The production company this Business Insider employee was freelancing for had a holiday party at a pub. Fortunately, the party was mellow and not at all wild, but all that changed when someone crashed the holiday party – literally.
Apparently, a petite colleague was seated on the ping pong table when it suddenly collapsed. The poor woman found herself on the floor along with tons of spilled beer. The mild-mannered party-goers were shocked because no one was drinking enough to cause such commotion. In fact, the “literal party crasher incident” is still talked about in their office to this day.
Awkward Morning Dance
Mountain chalets are all about relaxed, romantic vibes. So, when this woman and her boyfriend were enjoying their first meal of the day in a fancy mountain hotel, they had no idea that they were about to be drawn into a crazy unfolding of events.
While this couple was seated in the “young people” area along with a few single individuals, a drunk guest made an appearance. She decided to forcibly make out with one of the single people who was not expecting a drunken encounter that morning. It was the height of awkwardness, and we’re not talking about the altitude of the event!
Knowing When To Call It A Night
Bars can be a lot of fun, especially when you first arrive. However, at a certain point, things always start going downhill, which is why it’s essential to know when to call it a night. This incident backs up our theory. No one was hurt, but the woman at the center of it was certainly doused in embarrassment.
She was dancing her heart out to Madonna’s “Vogue” when she struck a pose that caused her to slip and fall on a table – the same one the CEO of her company was sitting at. Food and drinks flew everywhere, and at the center of the chaos was the woman – face on the floor, rear end in the air, undies showing. From that night on, company parties no longer included an open tab.
Throwing Up Politely
Throwing up is the worst, but this woman had no choice but to get the booze out of her system. Fortunately, she was still lucid enough to know her limits. She grabbed a cab to head home fast, but as they rounded the corner that led to her street, she couldn’t hold it back a second longer.
There was no time left for the taxi to pull over, so she did the next best thing – she opened her purse and threw up in it. Did we mention she was sharing the cab with a coworker? The barf story, of course, did the rounds of the office, and 15 years later, it is still part of the lore of the place.
Splish Splash, The Company Owner Took A Bath
A rafting trip is a fun thing to do with co-workers. When this restaurant organized just such a trip for its employees, one of the owners was thrilled to accompany them. At one point, she asked the staff to hold her arms as she had to relieve herself over the side of the raft.
Unfortunately, when the owner crouched over, the boat swished into some rapids. She was thrown off balance, and then an errant oar knocked her into the water. Thankfully, she wasn’t harmed, and she had a good sense of humor about it.
Party Penguins
When this company threw a penguin-themed party, no one really thought live penguins would be involved. Then a waddle of penguins showed up to give the party some penguin-themed entertainment.
At that time, the company was at the height of its success. Everyone saw the penguins as a representation of their excess, and many saw the event as ridiculous. Many years later, some still feel weirded out by the penguin party. By the way, “waddle” really is the name for a group of penguins!
Company Party Fail
This epic holiday party story came from a wife who attended her husband’s work shindig. Those in charge made a big deal about inviting the spouses of all staff and even chartered buses for everyone. But when the day of the party came, the buses didn’t arrive.
When this couple decided to drive themselves to the party, the food was gone. Other employees who also waited for the buses that didn’t arrive eventually went to the party late and hungry. Clearly, it was an event everyone would rather forget.
When Your Manager Gets You Banned From A Venue
This sales manager is efficient when sober but belligerent when drunk. He has reportedly kicked in doors, broken chairs at venues, and had a reputation for being aggressive to staff during parties. He would also fight the DJ if they refused to play his requested song.
Despite his party antics and behavior, he has never been fired because he brings in a lot of money to the company during his sober moments. His bosses, therefore, tolerate his annual antics during holiday parties.
Staff Stiffed By Boss During Holiday Party
These employees were advised by their boss that their holiday party would be great. They were told they’d enjoy a 5-star buffet. They were also promised gifts from clients and other tantalizing rewards. However, none of these promises were fulfilled.
The party ended up being a non-event. The staff worked overtime while the boss – now known as Ms. False Promises – gave everyone stale donuts. She also forced them all to watch Meghan Trainor videos, perhaps to distract from the fact that she was keeping all the gifts for herself.
Best Party Ever – Also The Last Party Ever
Employees of this company were treated by their boss to a party they will never forget. They were treated to a high-end steakhouse where a sumptuous side of beef was rolled out and carved before it went back to the kitchen. Their boss also concluded the merriment with a Louis XIII brandy. He gave shots to everyone at $450 a pop.
The following day, the office was vacant, and their generous boss was gone. Apparently, his generosity was short-lived. He stole the company jet and embezzled money. They later learned that he fled to South America and is currently living large.
Another Literal Party Crasher
The first step to crashing a party is that you have to be drunk. At least this employee was smashed when he decided to climb into the rafters. Eventually, gravity did its thing, and he crashed through the venue’s ceiling.
Everyone saw him tumble on the floor as though he was reenacting the fire drill scene from The Office. Fortunately, he was not fired on the spot. But the employee who shared the story is pretty sure the guy no longer works at that company – and with good reason!
Injury-Free Party
This startup employee was thankful that the party he attended was free from injuries and fatalities. He was also happy that no one needed to go to the hospital despite the craziness that was happening all around the venue, thanks to the tons of free booze available.
When the cops came, the DJ couldn’t resist cueing “Bad Boys” to ensure they got to enjoy a grand entrance. The party was a one-of-a-kind rager that was described as “epic,” even though it almost turned into a horror show.
After-Party Breakup
This office party started well but ended up messy. A woman in the UK used to work for a high-end fashion company and always attended its Christmas parties. These annual events were held at classy London venues, so one year, she decided to bring her boyfriend to the party. Both dressed formally to impress the woman’s colleagues.
When her boyfriend saw the complimentary bar, he freely explored its contents. This led to him getting black-out drunk and throwing up countless times. The woman ended up having to clean a co-worker’s designer shoes that were ruined by her boyfriend’s vomit.
Don’t Judge A Gift By Its Toilet Paper
Gift exchanges are common during holiday parties. Most people receive lovely things like gift cards and wine, so this guy felt he got the short end of the stick when he received four packs of toilet paper. As the party went on, he could not help but air his feelings about the cheap gift he received. He also demanded to know who was responsible for the gift.
Eventually, a quiet person raised her hand and admitted to being the one who gave the toilet paper. She also advised the gift recipient to look underneath the rolls. Lo and behold, there were NBA tickets attached. The guy mumbled an apology and was never seen being rude to anyone ever again.
Work-Related Bird-Flipping
When this woman started dating a coworker months before the holiday office party, she expected that they’d be an item at the shindig. The party came, but her coworker went with another woman. The news stung her heart. She was so hurt that the open bar was not enough to quell her feelings.
Desperate to process her emotions, she entered the interactive photo booth and took a picture of herself flipping the bird. She also wrote “F Love” in bold letters. Luckily, the HR coordinator respected her manner of self-expression and allowed her to keep her job.
Face Impressions Last
This woman loudly and proudly tweeted about the first-ever holiday party she attended as a newly hired worker. She was clearly excited to meet her new colleagues and the executives at her company. Little did she know that the first impression she was about to leave was going to be a lasting one.
Her enthusiasm caused her to walk face-first into a glass wall. We can only imagine the impression it left on her face (not to mention the impression her injured face left on the psyches of her coworkers)!
Don’t Drink And Drink
When this young woman was hired as a high-end taster for a San Francisco chocolatier, she expected work to be fun and her first company party to be grand. After all, a whole restaurant had been booked for the event. The woman ordered a Midori Sour, which arrived in a fishbowl-like container. She drank the whole thing!
Her coworkers ordered her another, and she politely downed it as well. Just when she thought her alcohol consumption was going to level out, her boss presented everyone with liquor truffles for tasting. Obviously, she couldn’t say no, so she went home wasted but a self-declared connoisseur, wondering if all that alcohol was worth it.
Wanted: Holiday Cheer
It seemed this holiday office party was off to a good start when the company decided to hold the event at an upscale restaurant. But when the workers were led to their tables, they found themselves seated within an outdoor tent. To make matters worse, the temperature was a mere 20 degrees, and the heaters weren’t working.
The outdoor tent collapsed, and as if that wasn’t enough, a dead rat was found under one of the tables. Everyone was getting angry until the restaurant took them inside and gave them unlimited drinks. There was a silver lining after all the misery, but the employees are still hoping for a better party this year!
Holiday Party Couples’ Counseling
We’re not sure whether these two are still together, but we hope not! Apparently, the boss and his wife got drunk at a work party, and the man said something that caused the woman to get angry. By angry, we mean the grab-a-wine-glass-and-shatter-it-to-pieces kind of angry. She followed this up by chasing her husband with the broken stem.
These two were drunk enough to stagger out of the party, leaving everyone else to clean up their mess. Fortunately, they never attended another office party together again.
Honored To Be Invited?
This sandwich shop employee, along with five of his coworkers, all felt honored to have been invited to a formal party at their boss’s abode. All of them were dressed to impress but got the shock of their lives when they arrived at their boss’s house.
They were wearing party attire when they realized that they had actually been invited to work at the event. All along, the boss had been expecting them to serve his family and friends. They showed up to be served but quickly had to pivot to a serving role. We bet at least one person quit after that!
She Came, She Got Hammered, She Conquered
This employee will never forget a female coworker who did a legendary thing during an office party. The coworker got drunk after downing an entire bottle of whisky. In her inebriated state, she heard a loud voice behind her, chattering uncontrollably.
Drunk with power and alcohol, she yelled, “shut up!” When she turned around, she realized she had just shouted at the 12-year-old daughter of her boss. Despite the high alcohol content in her blood – enough to make her cheeks turn red – her face immediately went white. Fortunately, she was not fired.
That’s One Way To Get A Raise
Christmas is that time of year when employers often give out bonuses as a show of appreciation. After all, it is employees that help make a business flourish. This person was approached by his boss with what seemed like a generous offer, but something about it seemed fishy.
The (drunk) boss sat him down at the bar and advised that he was going to receive a raise. The catch was, it was “for less money.” The employee wished he was also drunk enough to not feel weirded out by what he had just heard.
No Bail
This CEO was serious about keeping things under control at the office Christmas party. He issued a dire warning via an office memo, stating that if anyone was arrested during the party, he would not be bailing them out. Believe it or not, there was a valid reason for this memo.
A year prior, a handful of employees were arrested during their Christmas party, and the CEO had to bail all of them out of jail. The next year, the CEO made sure everyone knew they were on their own with whatever stunts they planned to pull off.
This Party Is Not Waiver-Free
Employers now have a way to deal with unruly employees during office parties. They require workers to sign a waiver before attending. It is a smart thing to do, given the amount of alcohol-induced rowdiness that erupts during parties.
Only workers were asked to sign waivers at this party. The intention of the form was to waive any responsibility the company may have had because the drinks that night were unlimited. As weird as this sounds, waivers are becoming more and more common in the corporate world.
Christmas Party Karma Comes Fast
This Christmas party came crashing down fast for one employee. It happened when this worker started drinking too much. The alcohol fogged his good sense, and he ended up hitting on his boss.
When the boss decided to leave the situation and walk away, the employee followed her. Alas, alcohol moved faster than his legs could carry him, so he tripped and split open his chin. The next day, he came to work with a lot of bruises – on his chin and on his fragile ego.
Christmas Tree Fiasco
Usually, cats are the culprits in instances when Christmas trees fall down. But this office holiday party had no cats as guests. Instead, there were only beers, a live band, and tons of wine. The luxurious affair took place in a fancy winery, and everyone received three drink tickets.
The manager of the lawn and garden section couldn’t handle even just three drinks, and in her inebriated state, she took down the eight-foot Christmas tree in the venue. The crash was brought about by her drunken stupor – not because she was doing a cat impression.
When Keeping It Real Turns Cringe-Worthy
Taking a date to a holiday office party is a good way to feel more comfortable and less awkward. It is always easier to have someone beside you as you enter the venue. This woman did just that when she brought along her boyfriend to the party. Unfortunately, she regretted her decision.
Her boyfriend turned to a lady beside him and candidly asked if she also worked for the same cheap boss as his girlfriend. The woman he asked was actually married to the guy he was referring to – whoops!
The Nightmare Before Christmas
This holiday party was a nightmare before it even started. For one, employees paid $50 per person for the privilege of attending. An additional fee was required for anyone who brought a guest. When employees arrived at the venue, the banquet room was full because it had been double-booked.
There were 300 people in an area meant for 200. A lot of the guests were left standing. The meals were not heated properly (some were still frozen on the inside), and this left many of them with food poisoning. Though a refund was granted by the venue, the company never passed the money back to the employees who’d paid for tickets.
The Consequences Of A Selfie
This holiday party took place inside the office. The managers decided to convert the workspace to an event hall with a makeshift bar. It is unclear if it was alcohol that influenced these coworkers to sneak into the office of their VP to take a group selfie.
As the selfies were occurring, guess who walked into the room? The VP, of course. As a result, everyone ran out of the room and rushed down the hall. Meanwhile, the VP was laughing at the sight of everyone in a panic. It is unclear if he took a selfie while his employees scattered in embarrassed horror.
Fancy Schmancy Pool Party
Everyone likes a holiday party, and if it’s a pool party, that’s even better! With this in mind, a group of highly-paid professionals and their guests partied in a luxurious vacation home, and this intern was there to witness what went down.
Everyone splashed around in the infinity pool while wearing their expensive dresses and suits. It was all fun and games during the party, but the next day, the intern reported complaints of cleaning bills, wet car seats, and ruined clothes.
Rap And Karaoke King
This office party was off the hook. The venue staff had to prevent a company boss from singing and rapping by hiding the mic from him, albeit unsuccessfully. The reservation for the karaoke room had long since expired, but this drunk boss decided to continue using it.
They tried to keep him off the mic by corralling him, but it was no use. The worst part was that he was doing what he thought was freestyle rap. In reality, it was a list of each staff member and their role in the company.
No Horsing Around
Parties are supposed to be fun. It is a night meant for everyone to horse around in a good-natured way. But when this employee attended a holiday party, too much alcohol was included in the mix. As a result, she decided to paste her fake eyelashes on a life-size horse sculpture.
She saw the horse as an alopecia sufferer. She cried uncontrollably because the sculpture did not have any fur. If the horse could talk, we can only imagine that it would encourage her to slow down on the booze.
If Life Gives You Lemons, Don’t Drop Your Plate
If you were in this person’s position, would you do the same thing he did? This individual was lining up at the buffet table when life handed him a situation he never expected to encounter.
According to his own words, he “broke wind so loudly.” But wait, there’s more. One of his office managers “got wind” of the sound. As a result, the person dropped his plate and ran off. No one said anything to either man about the incident, but everyone noticed the mess.
Apology Accepted
It was the worst of times; it was the best of times. This woman experienced both when she attended this office Christmas party. The worst of times happened when her boss threw up on her dress and laughed.
The best of times happened the next day when she told her boss what happened. The boss was extremely apologetic. To make up for the unfortunate incident, the boss offered a promotion as well as a new dress. That’s a big win if you ask us!
The Best Party Is No Party
There are people who prefer to shun parties and spend the holidays alone. Being by themselves is better than having to socialize with the same coworkers they see every day. There is also the risk of bad behavior due to alcohol.
Some are happy to party – they just don’t want to spend $35 for a ticket and $25 for a Secret Santa gift. Adding all the costs up means they need to fork out at least $60 to have a party with coworkers. After reading this list, do you think office Christmas parties are worth the cost?