Festive FINESSE

Your guide to a conflict-free Christmas

With the silly season in full swing, so is the seemingly never-ending schedule of Christmas parties for us to attend. Though they’re all about bringing people together, anyone who has endured one bad festive gathering will tell you it can also bring out the worst in our relationships.

Whether you want to avoid telling your boss how you really feel at the work party or ensure you don’t become the host from hell, here’s how you can avoid unwrapping drama this Christmas, according to the experts.

WORK PARTY WOES

THE DILEMMA: Work Christmas parties can be a melting pot of poor manners and bad behaviour. If office tensions have been simmering during the year – whether you have a disagreeable co-worker or a boss who treats you like another cog in the machine – one night with an endless supply of liquid courage can often cause an unleashing of built-up emotion.