The majority of workers do not look forward to celebrating the Christmas period at work
As the countdown to Christmas continues, many small business owners will be thoughtfully planning their end-of-year office bash as a reward for the commitment and hard work of their staff throughout the year.
However, the time spent party planning may prove to be pointless, as new research has shown that most UK employees do not look forward to staff Christmas parties.
A study conducted by HR experts Reward Gateway has found that 54 per cent of employees remain unenthused by the prospect of holiday season celebrations at work, whilst 32 per cent don’t have a Christmas party at all. Indeed, 17 per cent of survey respondents clarified that they wouldn’t attend their office Christmas party if invited, with a further seven per cent revealing that they’d try to leave as early as they could.
Commenting on the survey’s findings, group reward director at Reward Gateway Debra Corey said: A Christmas party can be a great way for so many organisations to reward and recognise their employees in some way for the festive season, but as the survey shows, they’re not right for everyone.
whatever you do at Christmas, it should be part of a wider year-long reward and recognition strategy, which is the starting point and a must for businesses who want to attract, engage and retain the very best staff, she added.
a Christmas party is the cherry on top, rather than the foundation of the strategy. Having the right recognition tools in place will result in happier, more productive employees.
Many employees link their worth to a business with how they feel they are rewarded at the end of the year.
A recent study published by Bupa found that three-quarters of firms believe employees are vital for keeping their business ‘sustainably successful.
If you’re a small business looking for alternative Christmas-party ideas, read the Business Advice guideon organising a staff do with a difference.
