The invitation card you received did not invite you to a party, it told you to be there; your office party is not an optional event. Even if you despise the thought of spending a whole evening with people you work with everyday, it?s a good idea to make an appearance. It shows that you are part of the team. Your boss will definitely notice your absence and chances are that your boss will magically remember your absence from the office party when it?s promotion or pay rise time!

■ <B>Don?t dress inappropriately</B>

The venue will determine the dress code so make sure you know what it is. ?Women are advised to stay away from slinky dresses, low-plunging necklines, short-short skirts or tight fitting trousers, according to a workplace etiquette expert from careerbuilder.co.uk. And men ?should refrain from unbuttoning more than two buttons on their shirts and wearing overly fitted shirts that show off their muscles.?

■ <B>Do socialize</B>

This is a good time to talk to people you wouldn?t normally come across and, of course, the boss. It could help you in the long term in terms of forging alliances, helping to get things done or just raising your profile.

■ <B>Don?t talk shop</B>

Do you want to be seen as the office bore?

■ <B>Do drink in moderation</B>

Excessive drinking is the number one cause of office party ?incidents?. Remember it?s a marathon, not a sprint and it is likely that you will have a long evening ahead of you. But, by the time you realise this, you may have already consumed too much alcohol and not be quite with it. Stick to your limit, drink slowly, or alternate between alcohol and water or if it?s too late for that, switch to soft drinks. Alcohol makes you lose your inhibitions so don?t tempt the devil and resist the temptation to give everybody a piece of your mind! And make a fool of yourself! Remember, you will see those people at work the next day and even if you suffer from alcohol induced amnesia, the odds are, they won?t.

■ <B>Don?t make a move on a colleague</B>

After a few hours and a few beers, even Kervin from credit control can look like God?s gift to women. Or Sheila from accounts can look like a goddess. A poll by tickbox.net revealed that 41% of workers admit to having a sexual liaison with a co-worker at an office party. But, before you make a bee-line for the person you?ve had your eye on all year, do yourself a favour and think hard about whether this is a good idea. ?Probably not? is the likely answer. Think about it; you don?t want to be the subject of sleazy jokes for the next few months, do you?

■ <B>Do watch your language</B>

Remember the reason why you are at the office party in the first place is because you have a job. Avoid saying things you wouldn?t normally say on a normal office day. Do not tell the CEO his speech was crap even if that?s what you think. If you desperately want to share your thoughts, there must be people that you trust at the office with whom you can share your private thoughts and who won?t tell on you. There aren?t? Then wait until you get home and imagine what fun it will be to share the joke with your partner/parents! And don?t swear!

■ <B>Don?t leave too soon</B>

Unless you have made a show of yourself and the best course of action is to make a graceful ? and timely- exit, stay for at least a couple of hours even if it is the most boring party ever. After all, it is your boss that you need to impress when it comes to getting a promotion. If the party?s really boring, you could pass the time by paying compliments to your colleagues by telling them their dress/shirt is nice, even if you have to lie a little. But don?t overdo it!

And remember, calling in sick the next day is not an option. A hangover is not an illness!