An invitation to an office Christmas party does not signify that you must attend; rather, it’s a courtesy to honor such invitations. But in so many cases, you might have solid reasons not to show up, and you’ll need steps on how to decline a work Christmas party invitation properly. 

If you want to know how to say no to an office Christmas party invitation, then you’re in the right place. Depending on your relationship with the invitee, you must either use an email, a written note, or word of mouth to decline their holiday invitation. 

Don’t feel entirely bad about the situation, and understand that it’s okay to miss an important event for another important one. Here in this article, we look at strategic steps on how to decline a work Christmas party invitation. 

How to Decline a Holiday Invitation 

If you must learn how to say no to office Christmas party invitations, then you must understand the basics of declining in the first place. Firstly, you should understand that it’s a kind gesture to honor invitations, and you should only decline when there’s something more important standing in the way for you. 

Next, you should consider your relationship with the invitee and how you plan to let them know that you’ll be declining their invitation. If they are family, you’ll need to speak on the phone or face-to-face and maybe honor them with a gift. But since we are talking about office parties, you’ll most likely send an email or a written note. 

Then, you’ll need to let them know on time. Do not wait until a day before the event to inform them, as this can ruin the plans they must have spent days putting together. Thank them for inviting you, and be honest with them about why you won’t be attending. You can offer to send someone who can represent you, or better yet, send them a gift to show your appreciation. 

You should do all of these if you want to understand how to decline a holiday invitation without being viewed as ungrateful. Think of the relationship you have with the employee and what channel will be the best way to decline their invitation. Stay honest and keep the message as short as possible. Be open to giving them gifts to cover for your absence or sending someone in your place if they are comfortable with that decision. Also, ensure that you follow up after the event has ended. 

Examples of How to Politely Decline Christmas Party Invitations 

To further assist you in writing your letter or note to your invitee, we have compiled some examples of how to politely decline, so you don’t need to think too much about what to write. These include:

How to decline a holiday invitation from your boss

Template: 

Dear Sir/ma’am, 

I hope this email finds you well. Thank you for taking the time to invite me to the Christmas party that will be held in a few weeks. I appreciate the invitation and do not take it for granted. 

However, it saddens me to say I won’t be able to attend the Christmas event as my sister will be getting married that same day, and I’m a huge contributor to the success of the wedding. 

I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience, and I want to do something to make it up for it. I heard there will be a contest to bring our favorite dishes to work. I will have my partner make mine and bring it over just to instill my presence. Thank you so much for your understanding. 

Best regards,
[your name].

How to decline a work Christmas invitation from your manager

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Dear [manager’s name], 

Congratulations once again for winning the award for “best manager” at [company’s name]. I would also like to thank you for inviting me to the Christmas party you are planning. This is a double celebration, if I must say so. I appreciate your invitation, but unfortunately I won’t be able to attend. 

I just got news that my presence will be required at an event the company is hosting within that same week, which happens to include the same day. I would have really loved to be in attendance to celebrate with you. 

Notwithstanding, I had already ordered a gift for you to show my appreciation for you as my manager, and it should get to you on that same day. Thank you once again for your understanding. Have a great day.

Sincerely,
[your name]. 

How to say no to an office Christmas invitation from a colleague

Template: 

Dear [recipient’s name], 

I hope you’re doing well. I’m writing this message to show my gratitude for your invitation to a Christmas party at your house. I am so grateful for the invitation. However, I won’t be able to make it on that day for some personal reasons that I will discuss with you when we see each other again. 

But I would love for my sister to represent me at the event since I’m unable to show up. Kindly let me know if this is okay with you. If so, don’t hesitate to send the address and time of the event, along with other necessary details. 

Thank you once again for your understanding. I can’t wait to hear how well the event turned out. 

Kind regards,
[your name]. 

How to decline an invitation to an event

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Dear [recipient’s name], 

Thank you for inviting me to speak at your Christmas event this year. I can remember just how excited I was to do the same thing last year. However, I have found myself in between two roads and will have to decline your offer. It would have been an amazing opportunity for me, but things turned out differently. 

Anyway, I would like for us to meet once all of these are over. I have so much to share with you concerning the new year’s event you’ll be holding. Thank you once again for your patience and understanding. 

Best regards,
[your name]. 

How to say no to an office Christmas invitation at the last minute

Template:

Dear [recipient’s name], 

I hope this email finds you well. Thank you for taking the time to invite me to your Christmas party. I appreciate your invitation. However, something more urgent has come up, and I’m sad to say I won’t be able to attend as initially planned. 

I’m sorry for the inconvenience caused, as this is just a day before your event. However, the circumstances involved could not be overlooked, and they matter a lot to me. It would have been great to celebrate with you. But I will make it up to you once I’m back in the office. 

Thank you once again for your understanding, and I apologize for the inconvenience caused. I hope the event goes smoothly as we have been planning. 

Sincerely,
[your name]. 

When thinking of how to decline a work Christmas party invitation, you need to understand that you can either do this through an email, a written note, or by speaking directly to your invitee. Show them that you appreciate their invitation but that the reason to decline is beyond your control. 

The post How To Decline A Work Christmas Party Invitation appeared first on The HR Digest.

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