(Picture: Phébe Lou Morson for Metro.co.uk)

Work Christmas parties aren’t just hotspots for office goss and actually interacting with the person who sits opposite you.

They’re also ripe breeding grounds for all kinds of naughtiness.

That naughtiness includes sex, and that sex includes cheating.

Yup, Christmas parties are very often where people embark on affairs or have one-off smooches with people who, um, aren’t their significant others.


That’s not just anecdotal – both Illicit Encounters and Ashley Madison report an increase in affairs over the Christmas party period.

Ilicit Encounters’ new survey of 1,000 people found that a third of people have cheated on a partner at Christmas, and that the work party is where an affair is most likely to start.



The site reports that the three week period starting from 3 December and going to Christmas Day is the peak time for cheating, ahead of summer holidays and New Year’s Eve.

57% of those surveyed who had been unfaithful said their affair was with a colleague, and that things had started getting naughty at the office party. 68% said they had cheated because they had got drunk and things had gone too far.

There’s a fairly even split between office party footsy turning into more and being a one time thing. 46% continued seeing their colleague romantically after Christmas.

There also tends to be some buildup before the big night, with 74% of those who cheated with a work colleague admitting to flirting with their hookup buddy in the run-up to festivities.

But while there may be early signs of an imminent cheating sesh, most people who get with someone at the office party don’t get caught – just 11% of the cheaters surveyed were discovered by their betrayed partner.

(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Illicit Encounters spokesman Christian Grant said:’“Beware of the Christmas party season because it is a hotbed for affairs.

‘Sexual tensions which have been bubbling up over the course of the working year finally explode due to drink and the opportunity to grab a kiss under the mistletoe.

‘The good news for cheats is that they are very unlikely to get caught out if they start an affair at this time of year, though they are advised not to flaunt their new love in front of their colleagues.’

Research from another married dating site, Ashley Madison, backs up the idea that Christmas parties are a hotbed for cheating.

Their survey of over 1,600 members of their site found that 66% use the Christmas office party as the perfect time to have an affair with a coworker.

The cheaters say that working with a colleague all day creates an attraction to them, and 37% said they are attracted to someone they currently work with.

The majority of those who cheat at office parties say they do so because it’s a rare occasion that their partner isn’t there to see them behaving badly.

Just because cheating at the office party is common, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.

By having affair with a colleague you’re not only putting your relationship at risk, but also risking your job.



Dr Tammy Nelson, sex and relationship therapist and author of The New Monogamy: Redefining Your Relationship After Infidelity, says: ‘Don’t be a cliché. You don’t want to be that person who ends up on someone’s Instagram or Facebook feed caught in the act at the office holiday party with your boss or a coworker.

‘Watch how much you drink, and walk away if you feel uncomfortable. And don’t let a temporary attraction triggered by workplace festivities turn into a permanent mistake.

‘Office affairs can be more than just a bad career move. They could be a total boundary violation and even set you up for legal issues later on. No matter what side you’re on – the pursuer or the pursued – put down the eggnog and call an Uber or just sit this one out.’

Wise words.

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