Image: Kevin Dooley I haven't been to many office Christmas parties in my life. Being an eternal student and then working in an office where the boss once took us and our notepads out to a cafe, had a meeting over soup then announced that had been the Office Christmas party means I just haven't had the chance. Fortunately this also means I have never had to partake in the seasonal office tradition of Secret Santa.
There was an office party, at my boss's house, where we played Dirty Santa. A game where you and your co-worker friends can duke it out over gifts with a value of $25 - no gift is safe as you can demand a colleague give you the present they just opened. However Dirty Santa is apparently no good for office wooing.
There was an office party, at my boss's house, where we played Dirty Santa. A game where you and your co-worker friends can duke it out over gifts with a value of $25 - no gift is safe as you can demand a colleague give you the present they just opened. However Dirty Santa is apparently no good for office wooing.
A study by the Co-operative Pharmacy found that almost one in four admitted to over spending on their Secret Santa gift in order to woo a co-worker. Then because they overspent and had to take days off waiting for the amazing gift to be delivered (I imagine) two out of five workers tend to reveal their identity in order to take credit for the gift.
Half of those who go over budget for a Secret Santa would rather confess to having bought the gift than admit to having a crush on the recipient. One in five simply want to keep out of any office festivities and Secret Santa 'fun'.
Caroline Linger, Healthcare and Beauty Retail Category Manager at The Co-operative Pharmacy, said: "It's that time of year again as teams of workers up and down the country are gearing up for their office festivities and many scour the shops for their secret Santa gift.
Half of those who go over budget for a Secret Santa would rather confess to having bought the gift than admit to having a crush on the recipient. One in five simply want to keep out of any office festivities and Secret Santa 'fun'.
Caroline Linger, Healthcare and Beauty Retail Category Manager at The Co-operative Pharmacy, said: "It's that time of year again as teams of workers up and down the country are gearing up for their office festivities and many scour the shops for their secret Santa gift.
| "According to our research, employees who disclose their secret Santa identity are actually revealing far more about their character than they think. So if you want to avoid revealing your inner-most thoughts, keep secret Santa a secret!" | It is also time for the police to tell women to stop being vulnerable. Not just vulnerable, Christmas vulnerable. |
Omigoodness, Christmas! Office romance! Mistletoe! ARGH! 'Tis the season to be awkward right? AMIRIGHT?!
It means it isn't just time for quirky market research results in order to promote affordable items that will suit anybody in your office - whether you fancy them or not. By the way the Co-operative Pharmacy offers a wide range of Christmas gifts under £10. For more information visit: www.pharmacy.co.uk. It is also time for the police to tell women to stop being vulnerable. Not just vulnerable, Christmas vulnerable.
Don't have too much to drink at the office party, don't get a cab, don't wear anything revealing and don't enthusiastically accept any Secret Santa gifts in a manner that could be interpreted as consent. All this can result in 'regretful sex'.
In 2009 Senior officers in England and Wales warned of the risks as the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) and launched a campaign to raise awareness. As with most things Christmas themed the sentiment was there, however the language was wrong. Women were warned by the campaign to "let your hair down, not your guard"
As part of the campaign Cheshire Chief Constable Dave Whatton, noted alcohol was often a factor in reported rape cases, saying: "Ultimately we want to prevent rape from occurring in the first place, by arming potential victims with key advice on how to keep themselves safe.†And so a trend for warning women/potential victims not to drink too much began...
But maybe we are ringing in the changes, this year Cheshire police, commenting on their campaign said: "There are no excuses for rape or sexual violence and those who normalise, deny or blame the victim for their own actions must understand that making excuses for themselves or their friends who have used force to get what they wanted will not be tolerated."
Surrey Police are also focusing more on consent than alcohol units: "Whatever the circumstances, if a person is forced to have sexual abuse or rape, then it is a crime, it is rape...Being under the influence of alcohol, or asleep is not consent."
If confessing to a slightly overboard Secret Santa gift is too much for three out of five workers, then the odds are that reporting an attack to the police is going to be all the more challenging. This more enlightened language from the Police, however, jingles my bells.
Squeamish Kate
It means it isn't just time for quirky market research results in order to promote affordable items that will suit anybody in your office - whether you fancy them or not. By the way the Co-operative Pharmacy offers a wide range of Christmas gifts under £10. For more information visit: www.pharmacy.co.uk. It is also time for the police to tell women to stop being vulnerable. Not just vulnerable, Christmas vulnerable.
Don't have too much to drink at the office party, don't get a cab, don't wear anything revealing and don't enthusiastically accept any Secret Santa gifts in a manner that could be interpreted as consent. All this can result in 'regretful sex'.
In 2009 Senior officers in England and Wales warned of the risks as the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) and launched a campaign to raise awareness. As with most things Christmas themed the sentiment was there, however the language was wrong. Women were warned by the campaign to "let your hair down, not your guard"
As part of the campaign Cheshire Chief Constable Dave Whatton, noted alcohol was often a factor in reported rape cases, saying: "Ultimately we want to prevent rape from occurring in the first place, by arming potential victims with key advice on how to keep themselves safe.†And so a trend for warning women/potential victims not to drink too much began...
But maybe we are ringing in the changes, this year Cheshire police, commenting on their campaign said: "There are no excuses for rape or sexual violence and those who normalise, deny or blame the victim for their own actions must understand that making excuses for themselves or their friends who have used force to get what they wanted will not be tolerated."
Surrey Police are also focusing more on consent than alcohol units: "Whatever the circumstances, if a person is forced to have sexual abuse or rape, then it is a crime, it is rape...Being under the influence of alcohol, or asleep is not consent."
If confessing to a slightly overboard Secret Santa gift is too much for three out of five workers, then the odds are that reporting an attack to the police is going to be all the more challenging. This more enlightened language from the Police, however, jingles my bells.
Squeamish Kate
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