Can someone please tell me how it is “that” time of year again already? The time when cicadas start dialling up to full volume, the air feels like a forceful hot fan, and your workplace throws its annual Christmas party.

Every business celebrates the end of the year differently. Some fly all staff members from around the country into one location to party through the night. Others opt for boat parties, or awards nights, or maybe even fancy dress for the adventurous.

And of course, there are some companies who do the bare minimum required, like a quick pub lunch if you’re lucky.

No matter how your workplace chooses to celebrate the start of the holidays, there are a few Christmas party do’s and don’t’s that everyone should follow to ensure it’s a happy new year.

DO: get into the spirit. Not everyone loves being forced to mingle with your colleagues. In fact, research by hiring platform Indeed last year found that more than one-third of Australian employees say they “dread” the end-of-year events held by their workplaces.

But there’s nothing worse than a Christmas Grinch in the corner of the party who doesn’t want to be there. So if you’re going to go, make sure you get into the spirit and enjoy the break from the usual routine.

The work Christmas party is an annual tradition where your professional and personal lives collide.

DO: hang out with new people. You spend the entire year working and socialising with your closest colleagues, so the best part of the Christmas party is usually that you can hang out with new co-workers.

Intentionally seek out people at the event that you only nod “hello” to all year, or have never had a proper conversation with. You’d be surprised the new connections you can create that might grow into genuine work friendships, or at least useful work relationships.

DO: be mindful everyone celebrates differently. The days of all levels of your workplace drinking together are waning. A fascinating recent study by Flinders University analysed more than two decades of data from more than 23,000 Australians and found that weekly alcohol consumption is declining, particularly driven by women and Gen Z.

This cultural shift is not only reshaping Australia’s drinking landscape, but also how we celebrate at work. If colleagues are knocking back soft drinks instead of hard liquor, make sure that everyone feels just as welcome.

DON’T: be the drunkest person in the room. On the flip side, if you’re going to have a few drinks at the event, be very mindful of your limits. There’s always that one person who ends up as a drunk mess in the corner, and you never, ever want it to be you.

How you behave at the Christmas party can reflect terribly on your ongoing prospects, promotions and reputation at work. There are far too many stories of employees who derail their entire careers after making some bad decisions at the end-of-year shindig.

DON’T: spend the whole time gossiping. It can be tempting to fall into the trap of talking shop, spreading rumours or mocking people you work with. You might think your co-workers are laughing along with you, but they’re never going to trust you again.

Instead, use the gathering as a chance to talk about your life outside work. There’s a lot more to you and your colleagues than the hours you spend working, so connect with them on a human level.

DON’T: forget to have fun. There are many people – gig workers, freelancers, solo entrepreneurs – who don’t even get the opportunity to have Christmas parties. So push past any doubts or anxiety you might have, and try to really enjoy the festivities. In a hybrid world, it’s a rare chance to celebrate with the people who toil beside you in workfare every day.

The work Christmas party is an annual tradition where your professional and personal lives collide. You do not want to end up as the cautionary tale everyone talks about in January, but you do want to forge stronger relationships with the people you’re really going to need beside you in 2026.

Tim Duggan is author of Work Backwards: The Revolutionary Method to Work Smarter and Live Better. He writes a regular newsletter at timduggan.substack.com

Get workplace news, advice and perspectives to help make your job work for you. Sign up for our weekly Thank God it’s Monday newsletter.