Nearly a quarter of British workers ditch boozy office Christmas parties as they ‘prefer activities to alcohol’

Nearly a quarter of British office workers plan to skip their workplace Christmas parties this year, according to new research.

The study, commissioned by team building company Team Tactics, found that 23 per cent of UK workers will duck out of festive celebrations with colleagues.

Among the top reasons for non-attendance, 31 per cent said they simply don’t enjoy the events, while 24 per cent want to avoid spending additional time with colleagues.

A further 19 per cent cited avoiding drunk colleagues as their main motivation for staying away from office Christmas parties.

The research revealed significant concerns about alcohol at workplace festivities, with a quarter of office workers feeling pressured to drink at Christmas parties.

A striking 45 per cent of respondents said they find drunk colleagues annoying, with this sentiment particularly strong among Gen X workers (49 per cent) and Baby Boomers (53 per cent).

Almost half (48 per cent) of office workers said they’re put off by the focus on alcohol and getting drunk at these events.

The study also highlighted behavioural concerns, with 47 per cent finding drunk colleagues can be inappropriate and 41 per cent feeling uncomfortable around intoxicated workmates.

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The research highlighted a generational divide in attitudes towards workplace festivities, particularly among Gen Z workers.

While 24 per cent of Gen Z employees admit to drinking heavily at Christmas parties and 35 per cent say alcohol helps them relax, there’s also a significant sober contingent.

More than one in five (22 per cent) Gen Z office workers say they don’t drink alcohol at all – the highest proportion of any age group in the survey.

Meanwhile, 43 per cent of all respondents said drinking alcohol at work Christmas parties helps them to relax and enjoy themselves.

It comes as new prevention laws designed to protect staff from sexual pestering from their co-workers came into effect last month.

Under the new Worker Protection Act, lawyers now suspect that some employers could pull the plug on their festive parties, with such events “becoming too risky”.

Tina Benson, founder and managing director of Team Tactics, said: “It’s sad to learn that so many employees feel negatively towards spending time with coworkers outside of office hours, and that some are made to feel excluded, pressured or uncomfortable as a result of alcohol-fuelled behaviour from colleagues.”

She added: “While many employees may still enjoy and look forward to a Christmas party, it might be time for organisations to rethink their typical festive ‘knees-up’ or consider organising an alternative activity that’s more inclusive and appealing to all members of the team.”

The e-research suggests a clear appetite for alternative celebrations, with 40 per cent of workers saying they’d prefer to do an activity with colleagues instead of traditional drinking events.

This preference is even stronger among millennials, with nearly half (48 per cent) expressing interest in alternative celebrations.

The trend aligns with a broader shift towards more inclusive festivities, as seen in the rise of ‘Friendsmas’ celebrations, where Britons are increasingly choosing varied activities like movie nights, Secret Santa exchanges and Christmas market visits.