The real cost of the office Christmas do

Emma Finamore
04 Dec 2017

Lost phones, lost house keys and (worst of all) lost dignity…we take a look at the true cost of the traditional work Christmas party.

Placeholder — One respondent never went back to the office.

The office Christmas party season is underway, and as workers get ready to choose between Turkey crown or the vegetarian option, research has revealed the hidden costs of the office ‘do’ experience.

The results include partygoers attempting the journey home on public transport, falling asleep (some even ending up in Dover) losing valuables, damaging their clothes and paying the price in horrendous late-night long-distance taxi fares home.

A quarter of respondents said that they have at least once ended up between 50 and 100 miles away, having fallen into a carb and cocktail-induced sleep on the train. A shocking 19% of respondents claim to have at least once ended up more than 200 miles away on their journey home.

A quarter said that they had at least once damaged their outfits beyond repair on the way home, while 68% have lost a valuable item on the journey home: phones were lost by 53%, keys by 33%...and “dignity” by 47%.

The journey home takeaway of choice remains the classic kebab (32%). In second place are cheesy chips (26%), followed by MacDonalds (21%).

Arrival times at work the following day varied. Commendably, 47% said that they always arrived at 9am sharp, while 21% admitted to arriving “late morning”. One unlucky respondent said “I never returned”.

Asked to rate the enjoyment level of their last Office Christmas party on a scale from one to ten, Liverpudlians ranked top with 8.7. Manchester came second with 8.2. London ranked third with 7.9. Birmingham ranked fourth with 7.7.

Muhammad Mannan, operations director at easyHotel, which undertook the research, said: “The bewildering financial and physical cost of the aftermath of office parties calls for drastic action and we’re offering office workers the opportunity to stay with us, insuring against the potentially disastrous cost of the alternative and enabling workers to make the most of a good night. We’re even offering a morning-of-stay check-in service for outfits for a minimal charge and free late checkout the following day.”

easyHotel’s pre-Christmas offers include a limited number of rooms for as little as £9.99 per night, less than the average secret santa gift. Rooms offer comfortable beds, integrated ensuites and most have bedside USB charging ports.

Muhammad Mannan added: “If you compare the cost of an overnight stay at easyHotel with the cost of ‘room and board’ on the last train past your home, you’re quids in. You also have the added advantage of a shorter commute to the office and the opportunity to win the ‘first person in’ prize the following day.”

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