Most companies plan to hold an end-of-year/holiday party for employees this year, but one in five employers will not hold a party due to economic cutbacks, according to a holiday poll of 300+ employers by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The smaller the employer, the more likely the party: Small (72%) and medium-sized (67 %) organizations were more likely than large-sized organizations (48%) to stage parties.
BNA’s Year-End Holiday Practices Survey also found that the economy is having an impact on seasonal festivities. Two out of three employers (67%) will hold some sort of year-end holiday celebration in 2009, down from the 81% that sponsored such events in 2008. More employers will limit party access to employers this year too – 47% of surveyed employers will open up their holiday parties to spouses or other guests, compared to 55% in 2008. And in what may be even more dispiriting news to cash-strapped employees, the survey revealed that holiday gifts and bonuses have fallen to a record low – down to 33%, a drop from the recent high of 49% in 2006
We posted about workplace holiday festivities in a recession last December, and except for the change in employer practices noted above, some of the excellent tips from experts for organizations hosting holiday parties still stand and are worth perusing. Here are some additional resources for employers and employees:
Navigating holiday parties: tips for employers
- At the FindLaw Small Business Law Blog, Free Enterprise, Minara El-Rahman posts tips on avoiding a workplace lawsuit related to holiday parties
- The NFIB Small Business Legal Center offers tips for keeping holiday office parties safe and fun
- Caryn Tolpa of Staples discusses office party liability and offers suggestions for limiting liability
- Some advice from a prior post on Hr Web cafe: Ho ho ho: Planning the company holiday bash
Navigating holiday parties: tips for employees
- Eric Conroy talks about how to take advantage of the networking opportunities at the office party in an article in The Hartford Courant
- Deborah Rothberg of eWeek produced a list of 10 Office Holiday Party Landmines to Avoid a few years back – it is still good advice
- Randall S. Hansen of QuintCareers offers Holiday Office Parties Do’s and Don’ts