Messy affair that inspired CEO’s viral Christmas party rant

The CEO of a Melbourne-based recruiting firm went viral this week for his bizarre Christmas party rant, but now more salacious details have emerged.

Shocking details have emerged about a messy affair that inspired a CEO’s bizarre Christmas party warning.

Stephen Carter, CEO of Melbourne-based recruitment firm Sharp and Carter, went viral this week after his frank Christmas party speech was recorded by an employee who posted it online.

In the pre-party pep talk Mr Carter warned his 203 employees, some of which were watching on Zoom, “don’t do drugs or cheat on your partner”.

He hit headlines after uttering the now immortal line: “I take drugs myself, I just don’t do it at work events.”

However one line in particular drew knowing chuckles from staff.

CEO Stephen Carter from Melbourne recruiting firm Sharp and Carter Picture: Facebook

“If you want to cheat on your partner, I would recommend 2024 as a stark reminder it is probably not wise to cheat on your partner with someone at work,” Mr Carter said.

“If you are going to cheat on your partner and if you have to do it – just don’t do it with someone at work; it really becomes problematic, as we have seen.”

It has now emerged that the firm was rocked by scandal this year after a long-running affair between two employees was exposed.

As for Mr Carter he acknowledges that he would have given a more muted Christmas party warning had he known it was being recorded.

“Obviously I didn’t expect it to get sent externally,” he said.

“I probably would have chosen to use my words a bit differently if I knew that.

“The intention obviously is to look after and care for my people so they don’t do damage to themselves and others.

“The law doesn’t view Christmas parties as different to the workplace and the same professional behaviours apply.

“At 203 people we are representative of society, and in society that happens, people take drugs, people cheat on their partner and I’m just trying to get ahead of that. I don’t want to clean up their mess afterwards. I’m trying to get ahead of it.

“It’s nothing specific to my business more than any other business.”

Mr Carter added that he hadn’t done drugs for “about five years”.

“I don’t have any philosophical objection to drugs, but the workplace isn’t the spot for them,” he said.

“It’s to do with friends in a social setting. Go and have drugs tomorrow for all I care, but don’t do it at the Christmas party or at work.

“I was going to say I have done drugs. I don’t have any philosophical problem with doing drugs, just don’t do them at work but then I thought everyone would tease me and say ‘when did you do drugs Carts in 1986?’ so I changed it to the present tense. But I haven’t done drugs for about five years and it is not like I am doing drugs,” Mr Carter added.