Ho, ho, ho! There’s nothing like too many egg-nogs to make you rearrange your boss’s baubles. Don’t deny it! In the cold light of day you'd rather staple your hand to the desk, but most of us have seen the business end of festive cheer and it only ever ends with stubble rash. So what if the stubble belongs to your boss? For a start, don’t beat yourself up. Yes, it was stupid but you work closely, trust each other, share confidences and survive the working week as a team. There are married couples who can’t say that. PAs and their bosses have unique relationships so it’s no surprise that personal and professional lines blur come Christmas-time. Nevertheless you must vow, now, to never, ever go there again.

You can salvage the situation, though. Do you realise that this is an excuse to shine as a PA? Whatever your feelings, don’t give your boss reason to find fault with your work. Show him that, whatever the personal circumstances, you are a trooper and that it’ll take much more than a grope in the stationery cupboard to throw you. Anyway, if saying “good morning” feels like hard work now, imagine how it would feel if he picked apart your office management skills? Then tackle your personal relationship, not least because working together is impossible if you can’t look each other in the eye. Do this by raising the subject with him. OK, it takes guts but what have you got to lose? With a smile, suggest that you both laugh it off and focus on the job. Oh, and swap promises to stay off the egg-nog. You’ll both be cringeing, so any humour will go a long way to resolving some of that tension. Just don’t make it personal. Teasing him about his bad breath or groping action won’t earn you that annual bonus.

Luckily, it’s easier to keep colleagues at bay. Just act cool. Don’t breathe a word of the snog to a soul and make sure that your relationship with your boss appears unshakeable, even if you want to curl up and die. Remember, a fumble ain’t for life, it’s for Christmas. Just make sure you keep it that way.

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