Work dos are meant to be a way to relax and unwind with your colleagues, but there’s always a bit of drama involved.
No matter how low-key the occasion, there are certain things that are pretty much guaranteed to happen when you get a bunch of people who work together in a place that serves booze after a long day at the office. Here are some things you’ve probably witnessed (or maybe even been guilty of yourself!) one too many times.
1. Someone will drink way more than they planned to.
It’s inevitable—there’s always at least one person who says they’ll take it easy, but by the end of the night, they’ve had far too many. Whether it’s nerves or just trying to keep up with everyone else, someone’s bound to get carried away.
2. Awkward small talk will dominate the beginning.
Source: Unsplash No matter how well you know your colleagues, the start of every work do is filled with painfully awkward small talk. It’s all “So, what are your plans for the weekend?” until the drinks start flowing and people relax a bit.
3. The same inside jokes will be repeated over and over.
Source: Unsplash Someone will bring up an office joke or an old story, and it will get repeated throughout the night. By the tenth time, it’s not funny anymore, but everyone’s too far gone to stop laughing at it.
4. The boss will try to be “one of the gang.”
Source: Unsplash There’s always that moment when the boss tries to blend in, maybe by joining in on a round of shots or throwing out a casual swear word. It’s slightly cringey, but everyone plays along to avoid the awkwardness.
5. Someone will start oversharing personal stuff.
After a few drinks, there’s always that one person who lets down their guard and starts talking about way more personal stuff than they should at a work event. You’ll probably hear about their relationship drama or some random family issue.
6. The quiet colleague will surprise everyone.
Source: Unsplash The person who barely says two words in the office suddenly turns into the life of the party. Whether they’re cracking jokes or leading a dance-off, they’ll show a side no one saw coming.
7. The office clique will form their own group.
There’s always a group of coworkers who stick together, excluding everyone else. They’ll talk amongst themselves, share their own jokes, and stay glued to each other for most of the night.
8. Someone will try to talk shop when no one wants to.
Even though it’s a social event, there’s always one person who insists on talking about work. They’ll bring up the latest project or some office issue, completely ignoring the fact that everyone else is trying to relax.
9. A dance floor will form, whether it’s appropriate or not.
At some point, people will decide it’s time to dance, whether there’s actual room for it or not. Someone will move tables aside, and suddenly a makeshift dance floor is born, with questionable dance moves to follow.
10. Embarrassing photos will be taken and regretted.
Inevitably, someone will pull out their phone to snap a photo at just the wrong moment. You’ll forget about it until the next morning when you see the evidence on social media or in the group chat.
11. The “after-party” group will start plotting early.
Halfway through the night, a small group will already be planning the after-party. They’ll try to rally people to go to a bar or club, though not everyone will make it that far.
12. Someone will spill a drink, probably on someone else.
Whether it’s a careless elbow or someone trying to carry too many glasses at once, a drink will get spilled, and it’ll almost definitely end up on someone’s clothes. Cue the frantic napkin grabbing.
13. A deep, emotional conversation will happen in the corner.
There’s always that moment when two or three people end up having a serious, heart-to-heart conversation in the corner. You’ll see them talking intensely, while everyone else is still laughing and drinking.
14. Someone will try to sneak out early and fail.
Source: Unsplash At least one person will try to make a quiet exit, but someone always catches them and pulls them back in. Their plan to sneak away unnoticed will be completely foiled, and they’ll have to stay a little longer than planned.
15. Someone will end up doing something ridiculous on a dare.
A few drinks in, someone will suggest a ridiculous dare, and there’s always one person who can’t say no. Whether it’s dancing on a table or doing something risky, they’ll go for it, and everyone will have a good laugh.
16. Someone will reveal something they really shouldn’t have.
At some point, someone will let slip a bit of juicy office gossip or a secret they’ve been keeping. It’ll be something they never meant to share, but once it’s out there, there’s no going back.
17. Someone will dramatically declare they’re leaving, but stay for hours.
There’s always that one person who announces, “I’m leaving,” and makes a big deal out of it, only to stay for hours after that. They’ll keep saying they’re heading out, but they never actually go.
18. The next day, the group chat will be full of “What happened last night?” messages.
When everyone wakes up the next morning, the group chat will light up with people trying to piece together what happened. There’ll be a lot of apologies, a few cringey photos, and someone asking, “Did I really say that?”
