Statistics reveal insane number of office workers cheating on their partners in Christmas 'pandemic'
The eggnog is flowing, Wham!'s "Last Christmas" is playing in the background, and you accidentally find yourself standing under the mistletoe with Suzie from accounts.
Are you about to become the latest office romance? Let's not forget that there were three in The Office's love triangle, and while John Krasinski's Jim Halpert and Jenna Fischer's Pam Beesly were destined to be together, Pam cheated on David Denman's Roy.
While we're talking about a fictional TV series here, cheating during your 9-to-5 is apparently more common than you'd think.
The idea of a cheating partner is one no one should have to deal with, and while you can catch your unfaithful significant other with everything from Wi-Fi networks to hidden Instagram settings, the sad fact is that some will simply get away with it.
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Next time you brush just a little too close to Mark from finance's thigh in the copy room, you might want to think twice, because remember, even AI will expose a cheating partner if it thinks it's being threatened.
As for that budding office romance, research from YourSexualHealth.co.uk claims that an alarming number of you are destined to cheat during the festive season.
Apparently, just as the snow falls, so are your undergarments.
Warning about the dangers of catching an STD at Christmas time, it's said that 32% of Brits will have unprotected sex outside of their relationship during this period. Breaking down the numbers, that's 11.6 million of the country's working adult population, which is 1 in 3 people.
Highlighting the dangers of unprotected sex and STDs, the site goes on to say that only 25% of people in the UK will have an STD test at this time of year.
Whether it's the idea of being caught or simple laziness, a quarter of those surveyed said they wouldn't get an STD test after sleeping with a co-worker and not using protection. Still, some are playing it safe(r), as 1 in 10 plan on taking protection to the Christmas party.
That might have something to do with 1 in 12 of you expecting to knock boots with a colleague during the evening's festivities.
With alcohol going free and us far more in the party spirit, some 22.5 million of the UK’s working adult population are apparently more likely to have a one-night stand during the snowy season.
If you want to know who's most likely to do the dirty, we're reminded of 2025's Coldplay CEO scandal. Leads/managers are most likely to get down to it at a Christmas party, with 20% of them saying they'd give it a go. At the other end of the spectrum, only 12% of associates say they'd go through with it.
But what is cheating? This is apparently a pretty broad spectrum, and trying to defend your actions, a third of Brits don't class an affair with a colleague as cheating. Those aged 45-54 are reportedly the most likely to cheat, with those in PR, marketing, and sales being the industry where you'll apparently find the most cheaters (18% of those surveyed).
So, when you feel that final shot of Sambuca starting to hit, and Carol from HR is giving you goo-goo eyes on the way to the bathroom, maybe think about your partner at home and decide it's time to call a cab.