Roz Sheldon, MD at Igniyte, talks to the Daily Mail and discusses how individuals can repair their reputation after a raucous Christmas party.
The Daily Mail’s article went into detail on the problems that can arise when employees get carried away at an office party.
The article reports on Igniyte’s own research into reputational damage, which shows that 21% of UK staff say that their personal reputation (or a colleague’s reputation) was negatively impacted due to their behaviour at an office Christmas party.
Roz Sheldon was asked what employees should watch out for at the office party and what to do if things do go too far.
When it comes to kissing and flirting with colleagues, Roz Sheldon said: “Assuming you’re both single, flirting with a colleague and the odd snog is fairly harmless. Yes, you may be embarrassed about people finding out, and perhaps you don’t want to be known as the one who’s a little promiscuous in the office (that reputation can stick) – but flirting and kissing colleagues is really common at work Christmas parties.”
This is borne out by the results of Igniyte’s research, which shows that 38% of employees admit they have flirted with or kissed their colleagues at a work event. It’s when employees become involved with colleagues despite already having a partner that things can be problematic.
Roz Sheldon said: “Although this is none of other people’s business, the fact remains that people will have strong opinions. It can really damage other people’s perception of you at work.”
Fixing your reputation under these circumstances can be tricky. Roz Sheldon said: “The best course of action is to just be extremely careful with how much you drink in the first place and fully avoid getting drunkenly entangled with colleagues on the night. If you do find yourself in a situation of an illicit office affair, I would strongly suggest asking colleagues who are aware of the incident to keep this confidential and ask the other involved person to do so too. Try to mitigate gossip and have a conversation about it.”
Next, the article looks at what can happen if the alcohol on offer loosens your tongue and you end up saying something reckless to a colleague. Around 10% of employees say that they’ve said something they regret at an office party. This could be about someone’s appearance, their work performance, or even something as complex and delicate as their sexual preference.
Roz Sheldon said; “A bit of conscious preparation before the party is advised… If you find yourself saying something you regret and rumours start to circulate around the office, the best advice to restore your reputational stock here is to be frank and address the issue. Admit you made a genuine mistake and sincerely apologise to those affected.”
To read the whole article and for more tips on fixing reputational damage, read Did YOU make a fool of yourself at the Christmas party? Reputation manager reveals how to fix things if you got drunk, had a fight or kissed someone you shouldn’t
An experienced Digital PR and corporate communications professional, Benjamin leads PR strategy and delivery for Igniyte’s clients across multiple countries and sectors.
With over 5 years’ experience in marketing, communications, and PR, Benjamin consistently gains high-ranking positive coverage for our clients in national, international, and specialist online media – including The Times, The National, The I Paper, EuroNews, Forbes and PC Mag.
