It’s that time of year again when work colleagues gather for their company’s annual exercise in free association, to remind themselves how little they have in common.
Yes, it’s Christmas office party season when stilted conversation rapidly gives way to racist, misogynistic and sexually inappropriate behaviour as strong drink is taken to dull the dawning realisation that everyone present hates everyone else.
It’s traditional in this season of kindness and goodwill to men and women, that we barely make it past the prawn cocktail starter in the town’s cheapest restaurant, before engaging in an unspoken competition to be the first to make an early January appearance at an employment tribunal.
Others will press on through the main course and dessert – harvesting unfinished wine bottles and untouched glasses from liqueur refuseniks, through the buttock photocopying and sex-simulation-during-the-hokey-cokey phases, before offering class A drugs to the boss’s wife and telling everyone in the taxi queue that Hitler was misunderstood.
At least that was the tradition until recently. Now we are told that, as a result of post Covid working practices and changing generational social habits, the office Christmas party of old may be coming to an end.
With Gen Zedders spurning alcohol in all its manifold and evil forms, and festive get togethers going online, or not happening at all, the perennial pitfalls that we have come to fear, may be a thing of the past.
While this may be an unalloyed plus for the health of the nation’s vital organs, as well as for taxi upholstery and photocopier servicers, it’s bad news for HR consultants and employment lawyers who will be denied their bumper New Year payday.
In place of gin-soaked congas down the fire exit stairs, and beery snogs in the stationary press, Christmas parties are now more likely to feature interactive events like virtual escape rooms and murder mysteries with professional actors.
For teetotal Gen Z puritans, fun comes in the shape of pronoun sensitive charades on Zoom or gender neutral I-spy over a decaffeinated, fair trade energy drink.
These innovative approaches prove that connection and festivity do not require a physical venue.
Offering a remote party option is a crucial matter of inclusivity and empathy, according to the most progressive employers. Many employees face legitimate barriers to in-person events, including social anxiety, caregiving responsibilities, cultural or religious differences, or painful associations with the season.
A virtual option also eliminates pressures like lengthy travel, overnight stays, and often alcohol-centric environments, granting valuable time back to employees during a busy period. Ultimately, the kindest and most inclusive approach is to simply ask employees what they prefer for their holiday celebration.
The benefits of remote working, evident across the other 364 days of the year, far outweigh clinging to a single mandatory in-person party.
Remote employees often report being healthier and happier, boosting business performance year-round. Forced in-person gatherings will soon be seen as out of touch, while creative online events represent a sustainable, inclusive future.
The true tradition lies in fostering a positive culture that adapts to employee well-being, not in preserving outdated formats, like following the financial director’s wife into the toilet or urinating in the punch.
