Office Christmas Party Rules
GUIDESTHE UNWRITTEN CHRISTMAS PARTY RULES
We asked. And you replied. After surveying a thousand people, we’ve cracked the code to the office Christmas party. And it may just surprise you to know that this is the one night of the year that the office hierarchy softens; colleagues unwind, personalities unfold as people seek out an occasion that feels as generous and relaxed as the food is delicious.
Join us as we share the definitive guide to the office Christmas party. Find out all there is to know about festive food, seating plans, party personalities and the festive mishaps that make the corporate Christmas party so unforgettable.
What makes the perfect office Christmas party?
Your office Christmas party should be the easiest win of the year. Good food, good company and a rare moment where colleagues get to relax without a laptop in sight. Yet every December, teams across the country discover just how delicate the recipe really is. One wrong ingredient – an overly‑engineered seating plan, a surprise bill or a speech that lasts longer than the main course – and the festive cheer evaporates faster than the prosecco.
Our survey makes one thing very clear: people don’t want extravagance, they want thoughtfulness. They want food they’ll look forward to, clarity on costs, space to sit with colleagues they actually know, and a party that feels like a treat rather than a team‑building exercise and for the organiser not to be forgotten about. Get those foundations right, and the night becomes effortless.
Let’s take a quick look at the stats…
Great food tops the office Christmas party wish list
For all of the food lovers out there, it’ll come as no surprise that food is the number one priority for people when it comes to booking a restaurant for the office Christmas party. And we have the stats to show it. Our survey revealed that 31% of people chose food as the most important factor when booking the Christmas party restaurant. Food it seems is the clear winner, by a festive mile!
Great food sets the tone for the whole night. It’s the shared experience that makes the shy intern chatty and the office Grinch…well, less Grinch-like! And with a menu bursting with dishes that can be shared there is no better place to choose for your office Christmas party than your local ASK Italian restaurant.From our classic Garlic Bread with Mozzarella (try our festive version with a Truffle Cheese Fondue topping) to our Turkey Festivo – otherwise known as Christmas on a pizza – there is something guaranteed to get everyone’s taste buds tingling.
This is a menu that feels like a genuine treat rather than a corporate ticking box exercise. With enough choice to suit even the pickiest of eaters as well catering for all your dietary needs, we’re the perfect Christmas party restaurant. Our clear fixed priced festive menu will guarantee there’s no nasty shocks when the bill lands and with two or three courses on offer we can cater to all appetites, big and small. We promise a menu packed with festive flavour – bringing together old favourites as well as brand new seasonally-inspired specials. The corporate Christmas party is a time when a team switches from being a collection of job titles to a group of people coming together and we’ve got the perfect dishes to match the occasion.
Food really is the emotional engine of the office Christmas party and the unofficial currency of workplace happiness. So when December rolls around, it’s no surprise that food tops the office party wish list. Food isn’t just important, it’s the number-one deciding factor when choosing where to celebrate – ranking far higher than location, dietary choice, value, atmosphere, drinks and space. And the lowest priority of all with just 2.7% – free-flowing drinks. It seems the old ‘boozy Christmas do’ stereotype has given way to something more understated – quality food.
Who do people really want to sit next to at the office Christmas meal?
When it comes to the office Christmas party, familiarity wins at the festive table with over 50% of people choosing to sit next to their work best friend. Forget strategic networking – Christmas colleagues want ease, warmth and the company of people who make the workplace feel human. The corporate Christmas party is no longer a time for forced mingling or carefully curated seating plans.
The office Christmas party is one of thoserare moments in the work calendar when people can relax without worrying about performance, hierarchy or professional polish. Sitting next to someone you already trust – your closest colleague, creates an atmosphere in which you can genuinely unwind. This is the person who knows your deadlines, your sense of humour as well as your coffee order. Sitting next to them guarantees a night full of easy conversation and there’s no better place to unwind at Christmas than in one of our restaurants. Feel the Christmas magic with festive lights, decorations and of course, no office Christmas party would be complete without a seasonal playlist.
One thing is for certain the office Christmas party should feel spontaneous, not structured. Almost 17% of those surveyed voted against a seating plan – it’s clear people want the freedom to sit where they feel most at ease (often next to their best friend) and not where a spreadsheet places them. For some, being seated next to the funniest person in the team wins the top spot – with 16.2% of people surveyed opting to sit next to the joker in the team.
Has the task of planning this year’s office Christmas party fallen to you? If so, prioritise sociability over strategy. People want Christmas celebrations to feel warm, easy and genuinely sociable. They’re not looking to impress senior leadership or expand their internal network. They want to enjoy themselves and that starts with sitting next to someone who makes them feel relaxed.
The greatest office Christmas meal crime
Forget overcooked turkey or awkward small talk – the true Christmas dinner crime – according to nearly a third of the people we surveyed, is the unfairly split bill. It seems that even at the most festive time of the year, there is nothing that stirs a bigger reaction amongst Christmas colleagues. Britons may forgive you for skipping dessert but splitting the office Christmas party bill unfairly is much harder to swallow.
Let’s begin by ranking these corporate Christmas party crimes in order of severity…
The Crimes (ranked by how much they make colleagues wince)
- Unfairly splitting the bill. Scoring the highest at 32.1% this is a cardinal sin. The one guaranteed to turn festive cheer into quiet fury. If you ordered the lobster and three cocktails, don’t suggest – ‘shall we just split it?’
- Turning dinner into a conversation about work achievements. 18% agree to save the KPIs for January – this is a party, not a performance review.
- Asking to ‘try a bit’ and taking half. At 12.1%, this is thought to be a crime of opportunity. Starts with ‘just a taste’ and ends with half your main course gone!
- Ordering before everyone has arrived. Over 10% of people agree that unless someone is genuinely running late, the polite thing to do is just wait.
- Starting before everybody has their food is considered rude – as agreed by just under 10% of people. It is when ‘just one bite’ becomes a full meal before the rest of the table is served.
- Stealing from someone else’s plate. Usually unwelcome. Always noticed. This is a bold move as agreed by almost 8% of the vote.
- Taking too long to order. Not quite as offensive as taking from someone else’s plate, but still, over 7% agreed to speed things up.
- Skipping dessert. At only 2.5%,this is a sin that is almost universally forgivable but still sparks mild disappointment amongst the pudding enthusiasts.
Now that we’ve established the top offenders at the office Christmas party, learn how to avoid these festive faux pas with our:
Who deserves the final slice?
In one word. The organiser. When we asked who deserves the final slice, last chip or final bite at an office Christmas party over a third of people agreed it should be the person who organised it. A telling stat. The organiser outranks even the most senior person at the corporate Christmas party, by more than five times.
Let’s take a look at who else deserves a share…
- Whoever asked first: 17.9%
- It should be divided equally: 15.9%
- The person shameless enough to take it: 12.0%
- Whoever ate the least: 8.5%
- ‘Me, obviously’: 6.8%
- The most senior person: 6.4%
So, there we have it. Hierarchy may count in the office but when colleagues gather around the Christmas dinner table it all changes. Christmas in the office doesn’t happen because the most senior person says so. It happens because someone agrees to take on the role of chief Christmas organiser. They ask the group, find a date and book the table. It’s only fair then that they get the final slice.
If this article has got you feeling festive and thinking about Christmas party ideas – whether that’s a laid-back Christmas meal with your closest colleagues or an end of year grand finale for the entire office, here at ASK Italian we have you covered.
From cosy corners for six to big tables and exclusive spaces available to book as well full restaurant hire, we have all the options for your next office Christmas party. And if you indulge a little earlier and book by 30 September, you’ll get the third course on us Just head over to our Occasions page for all the details.
