Nearly half of women to skip Christmas work parties over safety fears, study finds

A startling 49 per cent of women and 31 per cent of men have said they would stay in and miss festive celebrations due to worries over their safety while travelling home from work parties.

In a poll of 2,000 people, conducted by personal safety app WalkSafe, a fifth of men and women said they had faced harassment on their way to and from their workplace.

The report comes ahead of an independent review into the safety of women in public spaces following the murder of Sarah Everard by Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens in 2021.

Read more: Sarah Everard inquiry to publish report over women’s safety in public spaces

Read more: UK to see busiest Christmas travel season as airports brace for bumper festive season

As part of the study, it was found that 46 per cent of women had concerned about drinking alcohol at work events and a third feared for their wellbeing during Christmas shopping trips.

Emma Kay, WalkSafe's founder, said: “Christmas and the party season that traditionally comes with it should be a time to be enjoyed, catch up with colleagues and friends and celebrate the year.

“People should be able to let their hair down without worrying about their safety.

“Sadly, this research shows women, men and especially young people do not feel safe at festive events or travelling to and from them in the darker, winter nights.

“This is simply not right and shows a failure in how employers are looking after their workers in some cases.”

Young people, aged 18 to 27, are most likely to fear for their safety before and after Christmas work parties, with Brighton, London and Birmingham considered the most dangerous.