With the possibilities of receiving year-end bonuses and Christmas parties, the holiday season can be a joyous time for workers worldwide.

But ironically, it is precisely the holiday season that is one of the most unbearable times of the year for professionals, according to new research finds.

A study from licensed psychologist and consultant Paul White found holiday gift-giving is what really aggravates employees.

The research revealed that getting gifts for co-workers and bosses is the most hated holiday workplace practice for 70% of employees.

This included 23% of workers who detest “white elephant” gift exchanges, 21% who loathe “secret Santa” exchanges, and 22% who don’t like that they’re expected to buy gifts for co-workers and bosses at all.

Gift giving, however, wasn’t the only celebration aspect of the holidays that employees detest.

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The study discovered that 20% of workers don’t enjoy having to attend after-hours holiday parties, with 18% saying they don’t like having to bring in food for holiday luncheons.

Almost three out of 10 (28%) of the 1,200 respondents polled also stated they disliked the holiday season due to the pressure to get year-end work tasks done.

“No one will ever get the holiday celebration 100% right. You can’t please everyone,” White stated.

He added employers have several ways to prevent their employees from adopting a “hate the holidays” attitude.

“The holiday party should not be marred by discussions about performance or job tasks. It should be a time to celebrate the good and get to know the people you work with in a different, celebratory context,” he said.

He also suggested bosses should considering leaving ample time for employees to work on the extra year-end tasks.

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