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Why did your employees look so glum this holiday season? If you mandated their participation in a gift exchange, forced them to attend after-hours parties or otherwise infringed on their time or their wallet 鈥� it鈥檚 could be your fault. 鈥淗olidays are supposed to be a happy time, but when bosses combine 鈥榝orced fun鈥� with expectations that impact employees鈥� finances and eat into their personal time 鈥� it鈥檚 a toxic combination that often results in negative attitudes, the opposite of what was intended,鈥� says , an organizational psychologist and workplace management consultant, who created the Toxic Workplace Prevention and Repair Kit.

In response to a , more than 1,200 readers of White鈥檚 newsletter weighed in on the things they hate most about the holidays, and more than 500 readers shared anonymous horror stories of their workplace holidays. Here are the seven worst offenders.

Pressure to get year-end tasks finished by New Years鈥� Eve tops the list of 鈥渢hings people hate most about the holidays at work.鈥� One anonymous respondent reported they were forced to 鈥渟tay at work until 8 p.m. to close and submit payroll on New Year鈥檚 Eve, when guests were already arriving at my house for a party. Other than 鈥楾hanks,鈥� I received no further compensation, time off, or acknowledgement.鈥�

鈥淟eave ample time for employees to work on additional year-end tasks and reports, or schedule non-critical tasks for another time of year,鈥� says White.

Participating in 鈥渨hite elephant鈥� gift exchanges isn鈥檛 most employees鈥� idea of fun, especially when it鈥檚 mandatory; it鈥檚 especially awkward when you don鈥檛 like your colleagues.

One survey respondent says, 鈥淢y boss had a present that a team member was going to 鈥榮teal.鈥� My boss threatened the team member鈥檚 positive performance evaluation if she 鈥榮tole鈥� the present 鈥� she wasn鈥檛 kidding. There was a very awkward silence, and the team member ended up taking another present. Needless to say, no other team member attempted to take it.鈥�

The expectation to buy gifts for supervisors or colleagues is another hated holiday tradition. It鈥檚 not only an intrusion on employees鈥� time and privacy, but also on their finances, says White. 鈥淢y supervisor returned a gift, saying she didn鈥檛 want anything from me. She told me I was not one of her favorite people, and refused to accept a Yankee Candle,鈥� says one anonymous survey respondent.

When asked their most-hated responsibility of the holiday season, one anonymous respondent simply said, 鈥淏eing in charge of a Secret Santa gift exchange for a group of people who dislike each other.鈥� If you鈥檙e already struggling with workplace discord and shaky relationships, don鈥檛 make it worse by forcing employees to buy gifts for each other.

鈥淚 intensely dislike being forced to attend the holiday luncheon when I am up to my eyeballs in work that has to get done. I cannot be cheerful and happy with a desk full of work and a host of deadlines to make. It seems like my time would be better spent working,鈥� says another anonymous survey respondent. Again, try and leave ample time for end-of-year reports and tasks and at the very least, offer some kind of compensation or comp time for the employees that go above and beyond.

If at all possible, avoid mandating that your employees work on the holidays. If that鈥檚 not possible, try and work out creative scheduling; have workers who celebrate different religious or secular traditions 鈥榯rade off鈥� so they鈥檙e not working on days that are important to their faith or infringe on family time, says Dr. Laura Hamill, chief people officer at . One respondent to White鈥檚 workplace survey reported having to put in 17 hours of work on Christmas day 鈥� that鈥檚 not a recipe for good cheer.

Finally, if you鈥檙e looking to host a holiday luncheon or dinner, provide the food 鈥� don鈥檛 make your employees spend their valuable time cooking or baking, says White. And be sensitive to employees鈥� personal lives; one anonymous survey respondent says, 鈥淓very year our director 鈥榯hanks鈥� us by renting a party bus to go drinking together. This is mandatory; I am a recovering alcoholic. She knows this, but I still am required to ride around for hours and watch everyone else get drunk. This is supposed to make me feel appreciated? It is horrible.鈥�