Life

The Truth About Office Holiday Party Hookups

If you work in an office that actually has a holiday party every year, you know that office holiday parties are the time and place to get really crazy, well, within reason, of course. You don’t want to do anything that will make you either fear going into work the next day or will force you to quit your job out of sheer embarrassment. But according to a survey by Ann Summers, a lingerie and erotic retailer based in the UK, when it comes to fear of embarrassment, that doesn’t stop people from hooking up at holiday work parties. If anything, it appears to be prime-time for getting it on with a coworker.

Ann Summers surveyed 2,000 UK adults in regards to exactly what goes down at their holiday work parties. What they found was that 39 percent of respondents had indeed had sex during a holiday work party, and 63 percent of those people happen to work in the IT department. As for where people have sex during holiday work parties, it pretty much runs the gamut from desks to cars to boardrooms and to even the office bathroom, which, let’s be honest, does not sound very sanitary, but when sex calls, oh, it calls.

If you’re hoping to get laid this year at your holiday work party, know that you are not alone. What I’m really trying to say, is go for it… just don’t blame me if you get caught on your boss’ desk.

Here are nine facts about office holiday party hookups.

1. Senior Managers Get The Most Action

While the IT department, with 63 percent admitting to having sex during a holiday work party, it’s the senior managers who really score. According to the survey, 65 percent of senior managers have had sex during a holiday party while only 28 percent of directors, and 26 percent of junior staff members could say the same. But don’t worry, junior staff members, you’ll get to senior management level in no time.

2. A LOT Of People Have Had Sex With A Colleague

It makes sense. If you spend 40 or more hours a week with someone, you are are bound to develop some feelings for them, even if it’s feelings that could result in a hatef*ck (those are always fun!). With that being the case, 56 percent of respondents have had sex with a fellow coworker.

3. Less Than 20 Percent Admitted To Embarrassing Themselves

While I may not have been surprised about the amount of people who have had sex with a colleague, I am very much surprised by the fact that only 19 percent of those surveyed admitted to getting really drunk and embarrassing themselves at a holiday work party. Every holiday work party I have ever attended, 99 percent of us were guilty of such behavior, and let me tell you, the next day, when we had to look each other in the face, it was not fun. At all.

4. Here's Who Really Lets Loose

Not only is the IT department the most likely to get laid during a holiday party, but they’re also the “most likely to push boundaries, either by snogging, having sex, or getting incredibly drunk,” according to the survey's findings. With 76 percent of IT professionals, 74 percent of legal professionals, and 72 percent of the HR department getting crazy, this is a perfect example of the old saying, “It’s always the quiet ones.”

5. Teachers Are The Least Likely To Do Any Major Damage

When it comes to professions that hook up, only 27 percent of those who work in education had done so. In addition to that, education professionals are also at the very bottom of the list, at 45 percent, when it comes to pushing the boundaries during a holiday work party. Which I guess is good; you don’t want the people who teach our future politicians getting too wild.

6. Clients Get In On The Action Too

Although I’ve yet to attend a holiday work party where clients have been invited, the survey found that when it comes to smooching clients, those in the transport and logistics profession come out on top. In contrast, people working in finance and purchasing, are the least likely to swap spit with a client.

7. Most People Prefer The Parking Lot For Their Hookups

While, in theory, the boss’ office or the boardroom seem like most fitting places for people to have sex during a holiday work party, for 25 percent of those surveyed, the parking lot was the most ideal place. I guess sex in a car is as good a place as any. However, in second place at 21 percent, is the boardroom, and for 16 percent of respondents, the boss’ office is the only place that will do. Sorry, bosses of the world.

8. Some People Actually Lock Lips With Their Boss

If my boss looked like Don Draper, I’d be all over this one, but I’ve yet to encounter such luck. However, 10 percent of people either have such luck or were too drunk to realize what they were doing, because that’s the percentage of people who have kissed their boss.

9. Work Holiday Parties Can Lead To Cheating

Nine percent of the respondents had cheated on their S.O. during a holiday party. Although the survey doesn’t say to what extent ― kissing, sexing, second base ― the fact remains that when coworkers get together and there’s alcohol, things get a little nuts.

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Images: Fotolia; Ann Summers; Giphy(9)