Let’s be honest, office Christmas parties can sometimes get pretty awkward.

But this Redditor’s experience went beyond anything she could have imagined. Attending as her boyfriend’s plus one, she expected a fun evening of mingling—not a series of tasteless jokes at her expense. As the night went on, her boyfriend’s comments became increasingly hurtful, and after one too many, she decided to walk out.

Now, however, she’s left wondering if leaving was the right thing to do.

After her boyfriend publicly embarrassed her at the office Christmas party, the woman decided to walk out

Image credits: teksomolika / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Now, she’s wondering if leaving was the right thing to do

Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Master-Ad-1534

87% of workers prefer a bonus or gift card over an office Christmas party

Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

For many, office Christmas parties are less of a treat and more of a chore. A survey conducted by UK gifting and reward company Love2shop found that a staggering 87% of workers would prefer a bonus or a gift card instead of attending such an event. Additionally, 63% of employees admitted they’d prefer to skip workplace celebrations entirely.

Awkward small talk topped the list of complaints this year, with half of respondents saying it was what they disliked most about office Christmas parties. Another 36% pointed to dealing with drunken coworkers as their second-biggest annoyance, a recurring issue since 80% of workplace celebrations include alcohol.

“Last year we saw the decline in popularity of workplace Christmas parties,” said Frank Creighton, Director of Business Development at Love2shop. “The truth is they briefly bounced back after Covid but people’s attitudes are rapidly changing. The cost-of-living challenges facing everyone are a big part of that, but also people have become more protective of their time.”

Creighton noted that many employees would rather celebrate the holidays with family and close friends than with coworkers they don’t see often. “If employers give something, it needs to be something meaningful,” he explained. “Gift cards and bonuses help people to make their own Christmas special and ease their worries about paying for the festive season.”

“A gesture like that will earn employers a lot more loyalty and positivity from their staff than laying on a Christmas party they don’t really want that adds extra cost at an expensive time of year,” Creighton concluded.

Prompted by the replies, the woman began to question whether she should break up with her boyfriend

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Many readers empathized with her situation and defended her response

Others, however, argued she should have ended the relationship right there and then

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