At this time of year restaurants and bars in Dunedin are full of companies enjoying their annual Christmas parties. The office Christmas party is a great time to celebrate the end of a hard year’s work, to let down your hair a little and to enjoy some fun with those people you spend most of your waking hours with.

But office Christmas parties can also spell disaster for those that take the celebrations a little too far. No-one’s suggesting that a Christmas party needs to be a strictly sober affair but urban myths abound of careers in tatters after over-exuberant partying, while employers can find themselves embroiled in legal action and compensation claims.

Here’s View New Zealand’s guide to the best way to navigate some of the more common office party pitfalls.

For employees:

Do go the party. They’re great for company morale and often a good night out is all that’s needed to turn workmates into real mates. You don’t want to be labelled as a party-pooper – you might not get invited next time. And there’s nothing worse than being left out of all the in-jokes for weeks afterwards.

Don’t be the first or last to leave.

Do act as if your every move is being observed, it may well be!

Don’t get too drunk. Easier said than done when the free fizz is flowing and that guy from accounts gets the tequila shots in. No-one’s suggesting that you be the sober sulk in the corner but if you leave the drunken abandon to a night out with your non-work mates you could be saving yourself from more than just a hangover the next day.

Do show restraint when choosing your party outfit. Obviously you want to ditch the conservative office attire but you also don’t want to find that the IT department have made your photo their new screensaver the next day. Also don’t get into any state of undress. Sure you might want to live a little and ditch the tie but despite how hilarious you might think it is at the time no-one’s going to appreciate a Full Monty-style strip – and you certainly won’t appreciate the photographic evidence the next day.

Don’t gossip or bitch. If you’ve had a few drinks you’ll probably be talking louder than you imagine and are less likely to notice who’s in earshot.

Do resist the urge to flirt. Sure many people meet their partners at work but the Christmas party is rarely the best place to start something serious. And if it isn’t going to be serious, don’t do it! You’re guaranteed to regret it the next day.

For employers:

Do hold a Christmas party. No-one wants to come across as a Scrooge after all. Company morale will be all the better for it and the goodwill should last into the new year.

Don’t expect your employees in at the regular hour the next day. Better still if the party’s not on a weekend night give them the following morning off.

Do provide food and non-alcoholic drinks alongside the booze at your party. That way you’re at least trying to keep things under control!

Don’t talk shop all night long, everyone needs a break from the work stuff so let them have it.

Do provide transport home for employees such as laying on a bus or doling out cab vouchers.

So now you know the dos and don’ts, you just need to decide where to party. There are plenty of Auckland venues that are just perfect for Christmas parties, you just need to decide how many people you need to cater for and the style of the event you want to hold.