Many workplace affairs start at office Christmas parties.
Photo: Dreamstime.com / Dmitriy Shironosov
Christmas parties can be breeding grounds for workplace affairs.
One private investigation firm found that workplace affairs are more likely to be initiated at the annual holiday party, than at any other time of the year
Fuelled by free flowing alcohol, an estimated 54% of office partygoers will be caught in amorous situations with colleagues. A large number of these Christmas party flirtations will escalate into full-fledged workplace affairs.
That’s why you should accompany your spouse or significant other to the annual Christmas party at his or her job. Your being there can act as a deterrent to workplace affairs in three ways.
Short-Circuit an Office Affair
Several studies show that the workplace is the #1 place for cheating spouses to find someone with whom to have an affair. Since a workplace affair is most likely to begin at a company-sponsored social event, make sure you accompany your mate the annual Christmas party at his or her job.
This is prime time for a work spouse relationship, or an emotional affair with a co-worker to turn into a sexual affair. If a workmate has had his or her eye on your partner , or has been secretly admiring them all year, the office party is when they are most likely to make a move.
Fortified by a few drinks, they might feel bold enough to make an approach -- especially if you’re not there. Your presence could keep a budding office romance from becoming a full-blown affair.
Keep Predatory Workmates at Bay
Another reason you should attend the holiday party with your spouse or significant other is to make your presence known.
In a survey by Trojan Condoms, 49 percent of office workers said they’d be willing to have sex with a fellow employee at the Christmas party this year if the opportunity presented itself. Be there to make sure your mate doesn’t have a chance to go astray.
Any co-worker who has designs on your mate, is unlikely to make a play for them with you there.
In addition, other employees are more likely to ignore or rebuff a would-be-cheater’s advances, once they see that he or she is already attached.
Stamp Out Sex at the Office Party
It’s fairly common for employees to sneak away from the office party to have sex – in a deserted office, a nearby hotel, or the home of one of the two employees involved.
About 33 percent of those in the Trojan survey admitted having sex with a colleague during or after Christmas parties in the past.
In a survey by Men's Health magazine, 44 percent of the men said they’d had an affair with a co-worker at a holiday office party at some point in their life.
Alcohol is a major contributing factor. With alcohol flowing freely, one drink too many can lower inhibitions to the danger zone. Infidelity could be just a couple of cocktails away. Your being at the party with your mate could keep him or her from doing something they’ll later regret.
If you Suspect a Workplace Affair
What if you have a nagging suspicion that your mate is already romantically involved with someone at work? The office party is one of the best chances you’ll have to find out if what you suspect is true.
By watching them interact with opposite sex co-workers, you’ll be able to tell if they’re carrying on a workplace affair. You should even be able to identify the Other Woman / Other Man. Their behavior in each other’s presence, and the way they interact will easily give them away. Knowing what to look for is the key.
If you’re not sure what to look for, send for the free tip sheet entitled “What to Look for at the Office Party if You Suspect a Workplace Affair.” Send an e-mail to InfidelityAdvice@gmail.com with “What to Look For - Xm” in the subject line.
If You Can’t Attend Your Mate’s Office Christmas Party
What if spouses and significant others aren’t allowed to attend? First be sure that’s really the case. Sometimes cheating spouses and significant others tell their mates it’s an “employees only” party just to make sure they don’t attend.
But if that’s really the case, and the holiday party is held at the company during business hours, try suggesting that the two of you meet afterward for dinner or drinks. Knowing you’re waiting in the lobby, should discourage your mate from making out in the parking lot, or sneaking off to a nearby hotel for sex.
If your mate nixes this idea, show up anyway to see who they leave the party with.
If the Christmas party takes place after work at another location, and you’re not allowed to attend, offer to meet your mate beforehand for drinks. Then go with him or her to the location, and kiss them goodbye at the door. Hopefully that’ll be enough to keep them in check.
More Articles on How to Catch a Cheater at Christmastime
The next two articles in the annual Christmas Infidelity Awareness Campaign will discuss how Christmas gifts can expose a cheating mate. Other articles in the series are listed below.
*** © copyright 2009 Ruth Houston
Ruth Houston is a New York-based infidelity expert who is frequently called on by the media to comment on infidelity issues in the news. She is the author of Is He Cheating on You? - 829 Telltale Signs, the founder of InfidelityAdvice.com and publishes the Infidelity News and Views blog.
For more information on infidelity, cheating spouses and extramarital affairs, see
Office Christmas Parties Can Reveal Workplace Affairs
What to Look for at the Office Christmas Party if you Suspect a Workplace Affair (free tip sheet)
Christmas is the Ideal Time to Catch a Cheating Mate
13 Things Everyone Should Know About Signs of Infidelity
Is He Cheating? Is She Cheating? – 21 Ways You Can Tell (free tip sheet)
Is He Cheating on You? – 829 Telltale Signs (soft cover book)
Is He Cheating on You? – 829 Telltale Signs (e-book version )
Infidelity Resources to Help You Catch a Cheating Mate
Free Infidelity Tip Sheets and Special Reports
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