Top 10 Things Not To Do At The Office

It's that most wonderful time of the year. Mistletoe, eggnog and holiday parties in the office make employment lawyers rub their hands together with glee. That's because we get very busy in January after all the party-related firings. There's sexual harassment, discrimination, recriminations, finger-pointing – all the stuff of nice legal fees.

Here are the top things you absolutely should not do at the office holiday party if you don't want to be sitting across a table giving your deposition or reviewing your severance package with an employment lawyer in the new year:

1. Drink too much: Drinking is the number one cause of post-holiday firings, hands down. Inappropriate behavior abounds once the inhibitions go down. Whether your inclination is sexual harassment, racial remarks, airing resentments, or dancing on tables, make sure you don't have more than a drink or two. Save the heavy drinking for the family party, where you'll need it.


2. Confess: Don't confess your until-now-hidden lust for the receptionist, the fact that you were really in Rio when you took FMLA leave last