"How They Really Feel about the Holiday Office Party," by Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach™

According to a survey of 1,000 workers in the UK done by jobs.telegraph.co.uk, researchers found that:

1. 19% of employees would rather not socialize with people from work.

2. 1% said they did not want to go to the Christmas "do" at all but felt they had to because it was good for their career.

3. One in 10 confessed to having started a relationship during the party. 10% also admitted to flirting with the boss, and 25% said they met their future spouse under the mistletoe. 4. 6% had witnessed a co-worker being fired at their office party.

5. 8% had handed in their notice at the office party.

6. 20% were caught canoodling with a colleague, 5% confessed to hitting someone, 5% admitted to stripping in public.

7. One in 6 workers admitted they'd insulted their boss and nearly 1 in 10 had demanded a pay raise at the festivity

8. 15% said they most dreaded meeting the office "letch" at the party, and 19% said the event would be markedly improved if the boss didn't attend.

9. What would they do to avoid the party? 8% had taken the day off. 15% pretended to be double booked. 8% said they would do unpaid overtime to avoid it.

10. And 14% of employees said they would rather clean their house than attend.

From my own personal survey, people tell me they'd rather receive a check (money) than a ham, or worse, a coupon to go pick up a ham at some faraway store during this busy time of year. They also would rather take the money the corporation spends on the party, and have it divided up among them, and given to them and skip the party. As we all learned via Martha Stewart, employees really resent it when they're expected to pay for the party themselves, though they don't mind a "potluck."