Generation Z has been blamed for many things, from declining customer service standards to Heinz’s canned carbonara. Most recently, they’ve taken the rap for killing the office Christmas party.
More health-conscious zoomers are consuming less alcohol than previous generations and their growing presence in the workplace is encouraging more companies to introduce sober festive events or cut back on the Christmas celebrations altogether, according to some reports.
Matt Watts, managing director at flexible workspace provider Labs, notes there has been growing interest in alcohol-free events among its clients but this is spread across all age groups, not just Gen Z. He says: “For us, alcohol-free is here to stay. While there will always be a place for the traditional office party, we see sober events making up a huge part of the future of office socialising.”
Despite this, the majority (69%) of the 2,000 workers surveyed by Raconteur and Attest would prefer their company to host a Christmas celebration where alcohol was on offer. Although two fifths of Gen Z respondents would prefer the option of a sober work festive event, 60% were still planning to drink at this year’s do.
Party poopers
Far from killing the Christmas party, Molly Capel, assistant director of sales for three central London hotels says she has seen a resurgence in the office Christmas party this year.
“We’ve been welcoming groups on work Christmas parties since mid-November,” she says. “With a full house pretty much every night, it definitely feels much more like the pre-pandemic days, and our guests are really embracing the Christmas spirit and going all-out with their celebrations.”
Three quarters of companies (74.1%) are still hosting a Christmas celebration this year, according to the Attest survey. Those aged 18 to 24 are the most likely to be attending, while Gen X-ers (those aged 44 to 54) were the least likely, with a third planning to skip the event or remaining undecided.
One of the most common reasons people gave for not going to their work Christmas party was colleagues, with 27% saying they didn’t want to spend time with their fellow employees outside of work hours. That will likely explain why 28% of respondents said they had made other plans on the date of their office party.
Lucy Bisset, director at Robert Walters UK, puts this disinterest in attending the office Christmas party down to “festive burnout”. “High-effort Christmas parties can feel like another costly duty professionals must fulfil before the year is up,” she explains, adding that the festive period can drain workers’ pockets and social batteries.
Christmas party cut backs
Cost was a factor for 18% of respondents in their decision not to go to their workplace Christmas party, with 43.7% of people having to contribute some money towards this year’s celebrations.
Bisset notes that a number of employers have cut back on their Christmas party this year. “In the face of tighter expenses, many employers are dialling back their festive celebrations,” she adds. “There is also a mounting pressure coming from professionals who increasingly feel their company’s Christmas budgets could be spent more wisely than on the traditional office knees-up.”
A vast majority (83.6%) of workers would prefer to receive an end-of-year bonus, even if it meant foregoing a company Christmas party.
Only 13% of survey respondents say their company is opting for a bigger festive celebration than the previous year, with the majority (64%) hosting a similar-sized or smaller event in 2024.
Charlotte Harrington, co-CEO of water filtration company Belu, notes that some businesses have moved their Christmas parties to January, in order to cut costs and support the hospitality sector during a typically quiet time of the year.
Other survey respondents say their employers are hosting Christmas meals on site or in the office canteen, seemingly in a bid to keep costs down.
The alternative festive do
Recent years have also seen an increase in companies offering alternatives to the traditional Christmas party or meal. Some 15% of respondents say their employer is hosting a games night, while virtual events also remain popular, despite more companies transitioning away from remote working this year.
Belu is holding a scavenger hunt for its staff, which Harrington says is “a great way of keeping the festivities inclusive whilst also giving everyone a meaningful and intentional team-building experience - as opposed to a traditional Christmas party”.
PR company Fourth Day held a festive bake-off competition and ate fondu outside the ice-skating rink at Somerset House in London. Meanwhile, HR software provider Ciphr allocates budget to individual teams, rather than holding a company-wide Christmas party.
The Christmas party has become a potential minefield for employers to navigate
Its director of people Karen Lough says: “Some have opted for traditional team meals, others have joined larger hotel-hosted events, while a few have gone in a completely different direction and used the budget for experience days. This approach has empowered our teams to plan something that suits them best – and it’s been really well-received.”
Although these changes are partly down to worker preference, new rules on worker protection may also be playing a role, according to Cathy Acratopulo, founder and CEO of HR transformation consultancy Lace Partners.
Changes to the Worker Protection Act, which came into effect from October, introduced a legal duty for employers to proactively take “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. This has made the Christmas party a “potential minefield” for businesses to navigate, Acratopulo says.
She adds: “When combined with the changing preferences of Gen Z, who are less likely to drink alcohol and have a bigger focus on wellbeing, plus the increasing number of employees who work flexibly, it’s not too surprising that there have been various articles in the press touting the end of Christmas parties.”
But despite these challenges and changing employee preferences, it appears the workplace festive celebration is here to stay.
