This stat proves drunken office Christmas party hook-ups might actually be a good idea

Christmas party season is almost upon us, which means drinking too much and telling your work crush you love them.

Sure, you might think you’ve never done this, but do you really remember everything that happened that one year when the office manager ‘borrowed’ your CEO’s card and set up a seemingly bottomless tab? Exactly.

Still, an impromptu Christmas hook-up doesn’t always leave you red-faced when you show up to work the next morning in the same clothes – a surprising amount of them actually lead to something more permanent.

Of course, sometimes both of these things can be true. In fact, that’s probably quite often the case.

According to research from InstantPrint, 54% of people who get together at an office Christmas party turn that into a longer-term relationship, and 31% of those polled are still together.

Of course that means a fair few have not lasted the course, but that hit-rate is comfortably higher than many of us will have thought.

The figure is even higher in the North East of England, with 66% turning office hook-ups into long-term relationships.

The survey of 2,000 workers found 72% were prone to getting drunk at their Christmas party, with a further 16% getting ‘embarrassingly drunk’.

Still, you might not need to worry too much about doing something to get on the wrong side of HR, as that’s the department most prone to drunken antics themselves.

How drunken? Well, 40% of those in HR have considered handing in their notice after their Christmas party, with more than half dreading coming into work the following day.

When it comes to regrets, a fair few people have admitted to talking about their boss behind their back, with Londoners and those in Wales the worst culprits.

That’s arguably not as bad as Northern Irish partygoers, though, who are the most prone to talking shit about their boss to their face.

Others have regretted admitting they fancy their colleagues, especially in the East Midlands, East Anglia and the South East, but perhaps they should have leaned into the attraction – after all, the odds of it turning into a relationship may well be in their favour.

(Images: NBC/Rex Features)