MANY of us have, or know of someone, who, in true Bridget Jones style has humiliated themselves at the office party.

Whether you’ve given your colleagues a drunken rendition of ‘I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas’, danced on your desk with tinsel round your neck, or told your colleagues what you really think of them – this time of year is fraught with festive faux pas.

Dodging the pitfalls of office party protocol can be a daunting challenge, so, in a bid to help prevent your festive frolics leaving you with more than just a hangover, here’s our essential guide to surviving the office Christmas night out:

1. The first rule of surviving the Christmas office party is to remember it is a business function with a social element – after all, when all’s said and done, on Monday morning you still have to work with these people, and the area manager may not know your name but if you act inappropriately you can guarantee they’ll remember your face – but for all the wrong reasons – so make sure you limit the festive fizz!

2. You don't have to spend all night at the event, but you do have to attend. Plan to arrive soon after the event is scheduled to start. Everyone will still be fresh and they won't have repeated the same greeting and small talk several dozen or hundreds of times yet.

3. Dress for the occasion but keep it conservative – your backless party dress may look stunning on a night out with your friends but inappropriate dress at a business event will only draw attention to you for all the wrong reasons.

4. Likewise, when it comes to secret Santa etiquette, remember – this is for a colleague so keep it work appropriate, avoid rude or tasteless gifts at all costs.

5. It may be a business function, but this is an opportunity to get to know your colleagues and enjoy yourself, so don’t talk shop all evening – the last thing you want is to be labelled the office bore!

6. Don’t let your alcohol-loosened tongue commit career suicide by discussing pay or letting confidential workplace issues slip once you have had one to many glasses of Christmas cheer.

7. Statistically one third of all couples meet at work and, considering the amount of time you spend with colleagues, this is hardly surprising. However, using the Christmas party to make a move on a colleague that you’ve always secretly had the hots for, is not a good strategy – especially if fuelled by alcohol.

Remember, you have to work with your colleagues, day in, day out, all year long.

However you plan to celebrate Christmas this year, if you want to avoid a festive faux pas make sure you follow our essential guide to surviving the office party.