The 5 coworkers you’ll meet during the holiday season

And so, the holiday season is upon us once again. As with every year, tight deadlines, important meetings, and personal responsibilities abound. In the middle of this chaos, the office begins to embrace the holiday spirit with twinkling lights and a fully decorated Christmas tree. Suddenly, the invitation for Secret Santa pops up in your email, followed by the announcement of the office holiday party. Lunchtime conversations switch from weekend plans and rants about the weather to holiday discussions—Are you taking time off? Will you go to family for Christmas dinner? Have you got all your gift shopping done?

While some are enthusiastic about the holiday season (arguably sometimes a little too enthusiastic), others are counting down the days until it’s over and done with. Whatever your personal opinion, the lead up to the end-of-year holidays often reveals an otherwise hidden side of our workplace acquaintances. We thought now would be a great time to share 5 of our favorite fictional holiday characters that rear their heads this time of year, because we’re there’s one of each in every office. For a fun holiday party game, why not play who’s who with the list? One small disclaimer: We are not responsible for any office conflict that may arise if you do!

1. The Grinch

The antithesis of the holiday spirit from the classic movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. This person masters the art of Christmas sabotage. This is the grumpy colleague who sees Christmas as another distraction, often rolling their eyes at the cozy decorations and refusing to wear any festive Santa hat. Their motto? “If it’s fun, it’s wrong”. Even in the middle of the holiday cheer, they look like they lost their last candy cane.

Everyone bets on them being the holiday grump, but once they witness their team coming together, even the grumpiest of colleagues can experience a magical transformation and end up being … slightly less grumpy.

2. Buddy the Elf

Love him or hate him, Buddy from the classic Christmas film “Elf” is essentially the opposite of the Grinch. The colleague who embodies this character takes the holiday spirit to a whole new level. They’re full of pure enthusiasm but sometimes it needs to be toned down. While the Grinch will find them annoying, the truth is that these colleagues complement each other.

It’s hard to predict who will be the Buddy the Elf each year, until you check your email and see: “URGENT: Join the Secret Santa NOW!” While everyone else is scrambling to meet end-of-year deadlines, Buddy is busy “optimizing” the office tree with the right decoration and making sure the holiday playlist is perfectly curated.

3. Kevin McCallister

Kevin, the clever kid from the classic “Home Alone” taught us the importance of autonomy and the efficiency of working from home. He’s like your remote colleague, the one that’s a little distracted and somehow missed the invitation to this year’s Christmas party (running on their second strike). But in reality, they’re just a creative soul living in their own world.

You might find yourself stopping to wonder, “Where is Kevin?” as you try to recall the last time you actually saw him in person, maybe during a team meeting or a company event. There’s no need to worry about it too much, he is (most likely) fine.

4. Santa’s elves

Santa’s elves, whether from “The Night Before Christmas” or “The Santa Clause” are those colleagues who work tirelessly in December: “Everything needs to be ready before the deadlines” They’re essential to the company during this festive period, making sure everything functions smoothly and it’s finished on time. Just like the elves, you might find them doing extra hours and finalizing end-of-year reports.

Santa’s elves often forgo vacations to ensure that all tasks are completed and goals are met, prioritizing the company’s needs over personal downtime. Once the holiday rush subsides, they look forward to some well-earned rest and relaxation, using almost all of their PTO in January.

5. Frosty the Snowman

Frosty the Snowman, the seasonal figure who magically appears once a year, is much like that mysterious coworker who only shows up for the cocktail party. If there’s food and drinks, they’re the first ones there. For the rest of the year, you won’t see a trace of Frosty… you might even wonder if they’ve melted away. But come December, there they are, cocktail in hand, ready to party!

Frosty makes just enough of an appearance to remind everyone of their existence before vanishing once more. They’re the ones who manage to slip away right before anyone starts cleaning up.

Photo: Welcome to the Jungle
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