‘Lets talk dollars’: 29yo’s work Christmas party act goes viral
A young Aussie has gone viral for revealing the cheeky thing she did at her office Christmas party this year.
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Work Christmas party season is in full swing, and one Aussie has gone viral for her bold act among co-workers.
The party season has kicked off, and suddenly, your co-workers are wearing festive shirts, and you’re all crammed into a venue, wishing each other “happy holidays” and pretending you haven’t fought over emails for the last 12 months.
Usually, what happens at a work Christmas party stays at a work Christmas party, or at least, if you’ve made a faux pas you try to block it out, but one brave Aussie worker has broken her silence.
Rhian Tannahill, 29, has gone viral for cheekily asking for a pay rise at her company’s Christmas party.
The corporate worker wrote on Instagram that she was leaving the party after drinking “87 litres of Hard Solo, laughing too loudly, telling anyone who will listen my secrets and asking for a $30,000 pay rise”.
That clip has now amassed over 900,000 views and Ms Tannahill’s bold act at the Christmas party resonated with workers.
“I also did this,” one wrote.
“Me this weekend,” another admitted.
“Xmas party done right,” someone praised.
“So real. Why do I have to yap so much?” one asked.
Ms Tannahill told news.com.au that she made the TikTok in an Uber when she was coming home from the party and was joking when she asked for a raise.
“I am always very obnoxious and like to keep it fun,” she said.
The 29-year-old argued that the “best thing” about the Christmas party season is getting to talk to people you don’t often speak to at work.
“I just want to connect with people.”
Ms Tannahill said she made the clip when she was “feeling happy” and very much in the Christmas spirit.
At her Christmas party, over 200 people attended, and when someone said she was a valued staff member, she joked, “Let’s talk dollars”, before admitting she’d love a $30,000 raise.
“It was all a big joke,” she said.
Ms Tannahill said she loves work Christmas parties because everyone has to be “so serious” at work, and it is a chance to cut loose.
“We’re with our co-workers more than we are with our family and it is nice to have those bonding moments and to share things you wouldn’t in the boardroom,” she said.
“It makes coming back to work more fun. You leave staff functions with new friends.”
Recruitment expert Roxanne Calder said that, while everyone should have fun at a work Christmas party, anything described as “loose or crazy” should not happen.
“It is a work Christmas party. I would advise not doing shots, not giving your boss advice and don’t talk about anything controversial or political,” she told news.com.au.
Ms Calder said to stay away from anything that involves “alcohol and courage” and to think before you speak.
She said Christmas parties are becoming increasingly complicated because “boundaries are blurred on every level now” with work.
She said companies should offer clear guidelines on how to behave and expectations before a Christmas party to avoid any issues.
At the end of the day, though, she said that as someone who works in human relationships, it is just one of those things HR “braces themselves for” every year.
“It isn’t just the Christmas party; it is the emails from the next day,” she said.
If you do make a Christmas party mistake, Ms Calder advised to take responsibility and “apologise”.
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