Whilst receiving Christmas Cards is one of the oldest holiday traditions, here at The Works we won’t be sending any out this year – and it’s not because our MD, Craig Burton, has turned into a modern day Ebenezer Scrooge! This time we believe that we have truly embraced ‘the season of giving’ by doing a whole lot more than posting a few envelopes!

The Leeds Deaf Centre, the main social and support venue for children with hearing impairment in Leeds, shut its doors in Spring 2012. Here an annual Christmas party was hosted, which included a Christmas nativity play, buffet, and Christmas present from Santa.

But with the help of The Works’, this event will still go ahead. Allerton Grange School High School has asked for donations to make sure that the closure of the Deaf Centre does not mean that children miss out on a Christmas get-together. With the funds we would have used to send out cards, we have helped towards the food and Christmas presents that will put a smile on kids’ faces through the holiday season.

Though do not fret, whilst we may not have a Christmas card for you, we do have some invaluable advice with the do’s and don’ts of the office Christmas party! Make sure that you get you read up on them before they make an appearance!

The Office Christmas Party

DO

• Mix and Mingle – No one wants to be associated with that lonely figure in the corner of a party, so get chatting! You might meet someone in the business you’ve never spoken to who you have more in common with than anyone else.

• Watch what you Wear – Whilst the scene of you wandering into a venue wearing a Santa costume to a black tie event may become a funny piece of Christmas party folklore, it might not go down too well with your boss. Make sure you know what you need to wear beforehand so you don’t make an embarrassing slip up.

• Hang Around – It may seem all too simple to say, but when the whole point of Christmas do is to try and let your hair down and enjoy the company of your colleagues, trying to make a quick getaway without having a valid reason to completely defeats the point of it all.

DON’T

• Drink More Than You Can Handle – No one wants to be remembered as the one bouncing off walls and spilling drinks across tables. All fun can be had in moderation and trying to keep up with co-workers, who can perhaps handle the drink a little better than you, will always end in disaster (and the morning after isn’t too pleasant either).

• Constantly Talk About Work – For the benefit of everyone, try to keep away from bringing up work in the conversation. Whilst it’s inevitable that some discussion will be made about what’s been going on in the office (as it’s the one thing EVERYONE will have in common), if an hour of the party turns into a make-shift strategy meeting around a table – because you feel something it’s too important to wait until next week – your colleagues won’t be too fond of you.

• Think this is the right time to ask your boss for that pay rise – Whilst you may have be working extra hard recently and just haven’t summoned the courage to ask yet, the ‘liquid courage’ you may get from the free wine doesn’t mean you should start enquiring about your salary with your boss – They’re at the party to have a good time as well!

We hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

From,

The Works Recruitment