How to avoid the office oddballs at office parties

Holiday office parties can bring out a side of a co-worker you've never encountered before during the workday. Oddballs and alcohol usually don't mix very well. Who do you avoid and how should you handle it, so you can enjoy your holiday office party?

• The first type to steer clear of is the office pervert. A co-worker who thinks inappropriate, suggestive behavior or conversation is okay just because it's a party is someone to avoid. Alcohol and oddballs usually don't mix too well.

• You might think hanging with the office prankster could be fun--but don't get coerced into dancing on the stage and/or rapping with the DJ because he/she thinks it's funny. Keep to a group when socializing with the obnoxious jokester.

• A clinger is someone to be wary of--it can be hard to mingle when you have a shadow following you everywhere. Try to match that clinger up with another clinger. Don't feel obligated to hold someone's hand all night, so to speak.

• When a conversation gets weird with someone, either change the subject to lighthearted pop culture gossip or find an exit strategy. You can say you're going to get a drink or go to the restroom.

• Don't stay at an office party too late. Round up a few friends and find another bar or after-party. Don't be the last one on the dance floor.

LISA: I'm Lisa Birnbach for howdini.com. Holiday office parties can be great or they could be really terrible. How to behave, how to get through one, even if it's your first one you someone to hold your hold. Luckily we have Sarah Ivens with us. She's the editor in chief of OK! in America and the author of Moden Girl Etiquette books in England. Hi Sarah.

SARAH: Hello.

LISA: Who should I avoid?

SARAH: So many people. There's so many pittfalls of personalities at office parties. But, um, who's the first one. The first one who should probably avoid is the office pervert. Because--

LISA: Him!

SARAH: Yes, I mean--

LISA: Her!

SARAH: Yes. I mean sometimes if your confidence is a bit, you know, lacking it might be fun to be touched up by the dodgy old guy at the bar, but really no. No, no, no, no, no you're better than that. You're better than that.

LISA: No.

SARAH: Remember, so you don't want to be put in a situation, you know, where the office pincher is grabbing your bottom. You don't really want that at all.

LISA: Now sometimes a person at an office party behaves so differently than the way they behave at the office that you are taken by total surprise.

SARAH: I know it's scary it's like they haven't been let out all year.

LISA: Yes!

SARAH: And all their crazy, drunken pervertedness sometimes comes out in this one night. And they go mad. I mean they're just the crazy people that you should look and observe and say thank god that's not me. But don't be like, make it for them: Hey they look fun.

LISA: What about the guy who is sort of the big jokester. Do you want to play with him at the party?

SARAH: In a group. You don't want to be stuck with him. You want to have time to think of a little practical joke he's going to play on you. Or he's going to be the one who persuades you to get on stage and sort of rap with the DJ. No, no, no. So in a group, don't make him your partner in crime. Not really.

LISA: Now what about the clinger?

SARAH: The clinger is the worst. Worse than the office pervert I think because a pervert you can just slap and move away if it's gets too bad.

LISA: Right.

SARAH: Well the clinger, we can slap and they'll still keep clinging. Really, really bad. I mean if you have to pretend you need to go to the loo and you need to run to the restroom, do it. Just do anything you can to get away from them. But, really try and find another kind of--if they do make a beeline for you--find another clinging, slightly strange person and match them up. And then they can have little clinging heaven together for a little while.

LISA: They can be Velcro.

SARAH: Yeah, exactly! Exactly they'll still be there the next morning.

LISA: Now if a conversation starts out in a really nice way and suddenly gets weird, awkward, uncomfortable, how do you get out of it or how do you steer the conversation back to the number of units you're shipping or something?

SARAH: Yeah very interesting, yeah. So what I think you have to do is say Ah! Pretend you just had an amazing thought. Really just talk about Angelina. Everybody always wants to talk about Angelina. So through out a fact like, you know, a fact that you've heard on the radio or something. If it's non-salvagable, just go to the bar. It's an office party, everyone expects everyone to be needing more drinks. So, I doing a runner, anyone want a drink? I'm getting a round in, you know, whatever. Run to the bar and then don't go back even if you promised them you know a glass of champagne or whatever. If they're that awful and the conversation's that bad, theyll have forgot you owe them a drink and you know you'll forget anyway. So just run off away.

LISA: And when should I leave this party? Should I leave it when--I mean I like to go to the one office party I'm invited to every holiday. I like to go early and leave early. I like to sort of leave mystery.

SARAH: Yeah. Absolutely that's kind of cool isn't it. What I think is maybe even calling it a night--even if you're having a good time, you're in the mood to party, let's face it it's the holidays, everyone wants to go out and have fun--is maybe think of an after-party to go on to. So you know, kind of, you don't want to be there when the lights come up at the office, the general office party. So halfway throught the evening start planning another thing whether it's like going out for dinner with your favorite co-workers or heading on to another bar that you've heard of. You know don't take the whole gaggle with you, but get a real bunch of good people and move on somewhere else. That way you can carry on having fun without being the saddo that's still on the dance floor.

LISA: What about when the cheese starts to sweat--is that a good time to leave?

SARAH: Oh definitely I never stay at a sweaty cheese party.

LISA: Okay.

SARAH: Alright.

LISA: Thank you. Sarah, have a good holiday!

SARAH: Thank you!

LISA: For howdini.com I'm Lisa Birnbach.