While there are plenty of reasons to hold parties throughout the year, summer seems to bring with it even more reasons to get together.

One event, in particular, is inevitable – the office year-end bash.

These parties have a reputation for either bringing the office together or going horribly wrong.

Every year, articles crop up listing the disastrous events that unfold when your once quiet and professional colleague reveals a whole new aspect of their personality after one too many glasses of bubbles.

This one from last year, recorded for posterity by Business Insider, really stands out:

“At my office party at my old company, the CEO thought it would be a fun party game to have everyone submit an embarrassing childhood story ahead of time — no one knew why, but we all did it.

“Then at the party he had them all printed on pieces of paper, and he had people read them aloud and guess whose story it was. It was incredibly awkward and probably the worst work-party game of all time.”

Not a vibe, and not how you want to be remembered just before you go on leave.

If you’re smart, you’ll get ahead of any of the “bright ideas” circulating this year. Here are a few tips for making that year-end event something that you and your coworkers will leave with fond memories and minimal embarrassment.

Ignore the urge to get in one last team-building session

Everyone has had a rough year and is really looking forward to winding down. Unless you can guarantee that the entire office will be down for a trust-fuelled exercise in zip-lining, keep things simple. This is also not the time for weird party games. No one wants to end the year in a relay race across the office with a balloon between their knees.

Yes, that’s a real game. No, it shouldn’t be played by adults.

Down with ‘Secret Santa’

Firstly, not everyone in your office is Christian, so unless you’re putting the same amount of effort into other religious holidays, you shouldn’t be forcing coworkers or employees to participate in Christmas.

Also, no one ever knows what to get Karen in accounting, and every year she feels terrible that you didn’t put in any effort.

If you’re insistent on making your employees spend money, then consider picking an organisation or charity, like the Santa Shoebox Initiative, to donate to as an office.

Take it out of the office

You’ve been in the office all year. You’ve worked hard in the office. Now it’s time to leave the office behind.

The holiday season happens in summer, and we’ve all that moment of stepping outside the building to find a beautiful sunny day that we wish we could take advantage of instead of going back to our desks.

Go on then, have your office party in the sunshine. If you really want to crank it up a notch, swap out the usual (and dangerous) bubbles for Frost Popsicles.

The range comprises nine popsicles in total – six alcoholic and three non-alcoholic. There’s a classic G&T Popsicle for the gin lovers in the group, the wine-infused Tranquille and Brut PJ Popsicles for the wine drinkers, the Passion Fruit & Peach Margarita Popsicle for the more adventurous, and a range of non-alcoholic popsicles for the teetotallers.

Happy holidays!

[source:businessinsider]