According to a recent poll, 31% of Irish employers are organising lesser festivities this year, while 24% claim they aren’t hosting any festival celebrations at all, reports Breaking News.
According to research from the recruiting firm Robert Walters, both the traditional Christmas party and professionals’ perspectives on joyous occasions at work are evolving.
Suzanne Feeney, country manager at Robert Walters Dublin, said: “In the face of tighter expenses, many employers are dialing back their festive celebrations. However, there is also mounting pressure coming from professionals who increasingly feel that their company’s Christmas budgets could be spent more wisely than in the traditional office Christmas ‘knees-up’,” reports Breaking News.
Turnout taking a hit
Nearly half (46%) of the 1,000 Irish professionals surveyed by Robert Walters said they would skip this year’s work Christmas party.
However, since the pandemic, more than three-quarters of professionals believe that attending their workplace Christmas party has become less significant. Just 11% of respondents believe that the conventional office Christmas party has remained popular.
Ms Feeney added: “The post-pandemic workplace has gone through numerous changes – from most professionals working in at least a partially-hybrid capacity, to a greater proportion of younger professionals embracing alcohol-free socialising and more focus being placed on work-life balance. The thought of setting aside an entire evening during the already busy run-up to Christmas can feel like a logistical nightmare for many,” reports Breaking News.
Festive burnout
Just over two-fifths (41%) of Irish professionals who were asked about the reasons why they don’t attend Christmas parties said that it puts too much pressure on them to interact with their coworkers.
A quarter believe that their Christmas parties are exclusive, with drunken blunders exposing or even causing rifts in the business culture, reports Breaking News.
A further fifth (20%) claim that there are simply too many personal expenses related to attending, such as paying for office secret Santa presents, dressing appropriately, and paying for transportation to and from the event.
Ms Feeney said: “In a period, infamous for draining both workers’ pockets and social batteries, it can feel as though work Christmas parties are yet another costly duty professionals must fulfill before the year is up. However – done right, they serve as an opportunity to celebrate the efforts of workforce throughout the year. Accessible and inclusive parties can provide a great way of ensuring all staff feel valued,” reports Breaking News.
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