A poll conducted by Monster shows why it’s important not to get too carried away with the mistletoe at the office party as almost one in ten admit to having done something either extremely regrettable and been fired because of it (four percent), or have acted in a way that was somewhat regrettable and damaged their career/reputation (five percent). However, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of all respondents have never done anything regrettable at an office party.

Monster, the premier global online employment solution and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW) asked the visitors to their site the question, “Have you ever done something regrettable at an office party — for example, consumed too much alcohol or spoken offensively to a colleague or superior?” and received 3,699 responses.  International findings included:

• Extremely regrettable: I’ve been fired for office-party behaviour: 4 percent
• Somewhat regrettable: I’ve damaged my career/reputation: 5 percent
• Mildly regrettable: I’ve been embarrassed for a few days: 14 percent
• No regrets: I’ve misbehaved, but with no ill effects: 14 percent
• I’ve never done anything regrettable at an office party: 63 percent

UK respondents appear more red in the face with nine percent answering they had acted in a way that was extremely regrettable at an office party and were fired as a result, closely followed by respondents in Finland (seven percent) and The Netherlands (six percent).

At the other end of the spectrum, only two percent of French respondents admitted to being fired because of regrettable behaviour.

Meanwhile, 15 percent of all European respondents answered that they have done something mildly regrettable which caused embarrassment for a few days, followed by Canada (12 percent) and the US (10 percent).  Further, nearly 14 percent of Europeans admitted to having misbehaved at an office party, but felt no guilt and experienced no career repercussions, compared to 19 percent of respondents in Canada and 14 percent of respondents in the US.

An overwhelming number of respondents in Italy (82 percent), France (80 percent) and Germany (75 percent) answered they had never done anything regrettable at an office party.

“Workplace holiday parties are a great opportunity to build morale and camaraderie among work colleagues, but people should keep in mind that usual codes of professional conduct apply. It’s a party, yes, but it’s happening in a professional realm,” says Charles Purdy, Monster.com career expert. “I recommend that people attending workplace parties plan to limit alcohol intake, and that they look at the event as a chance to network and socialise with colleagues and managers that they don’t otherwise have a lot of contact with. Look for opportunities to impress your peers — not to distress them.”

The results of the current Monster Global Poll are based on votes cast by Monster visitors from: November 1 – November 15 2011. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation. The Monster Global poll, a product of Monsterâ, the premier global online employment solution and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc., is a series of online polls that gauge users’ opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy and the workplace.  These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinions of only those Internet users who have chosen to participate.

Credit: Onrec.com