The Christmas party is cancelled

A survey of 3,500 employers by the law firm Peninsula found that four out of five would not organise a party. Most of those polled said that Christmas parties often caused arguments among company staff and led to official complaints about harassment. Two-thirds of employers said they had sacked a member of staff because of their antics at a Christmas party.

Mike Huss, an employment law specialist at Peninsula, said: "Unfortunately, the combination of employees enjoying themselves and alcohol can turn sour, with the boss having to sort out the mess on a Monday morning."