9 stupid things to avoid doing at your office holiday party

Or the would-be stuntman who drove a golf cart into a river, jumping out at the last moment?

Office party season is upon us once again, and along with the grog and merriment come the annual lessons in career suicide, crisis communications and sexual harassment law.

Lest you think your workforce is above such tomfoolery, a new survey from The Creative Group offers a startling conclusion: People can be stupid—especially when spiked eggnog is involved.

The survey asked 750 marketing and advertising executives about outrageous behavior at office parties. Its findings suggest that if you haven’t had an employee bring a pet python to your soiree or a team of bosses show up in their boxer shorts, it’s only a matter of time.

In a phone interview, Greg Detter, vice president of The Creative Group, a professional placement service, sounded awed by his survey’s results.

“I’ve seen and heard stories, but it’s tough to beat the one about the co-worker who shows up at an event with a bag of Tupperware so she can pack up all the leftovers,” he says.