How excited are you about your office holiday party this year? Are you amped up to go or does it feel like one more obligation you wish you didn’t have?
Employers often get frustrated when they hear employees grumbling about the office holiday party. After all, these events are intended to boost morale, and companies usually put a lot of work, and often money, into planning them. But too often, companies put on holiday events that feel like one more seasonal chore to employees, rather than being the morale booster they’re intended to be.
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If you want to make sure that your office holiday party hits all the right notes this year, here are five tips to follow.
1. Consider holding the party during business hours. This is a busy time of year, and it can be tough for people to find the energy or the room in their calendars for one more event. Holding the party in the evening or on the weekends cuts into personal time that’s often already scarce this month. If you hold the party during the workday, it will be easier for employees to attend without having to feel they’re sacrificing time with family or friends, and you can increase their appreciation by giving them the rest of the afternoon off afterwards. But if you ignore that advice …
2. If you do hold the party outside of work hours, let employees bring a guest. If you’re going to ask employees to give up evening or weekend time, it’s considerate to let them bring a spouse, partner or other guest. And don’t confine plus-ones to spouses, as some companies do. That’s a good way to make single employees resentful and less interested in attending. Not everyone will want to bring a date, but if you’re using their non-work time on a work social event, it’s thoughtful to offer them the chance to bring someone along if they want to. (But of course, don’t embarrass people who choose not to bring a plus-one for whatever reason. Attending solo should be fine too!)
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3. Don’t make attendance mandatory. Not everyone enjoys office social events, and that’s OK. Insisting that people attend even if they don’t want to is contrary to the whole purpose of boosting engagement and building morale. You’re not going to have a fun, relaxed event if it’s populated by people who resent having to be there. That means you can’t penalize people who decide not to attend, even unofficially. And remember, this is a busy time of year for people! Be understanding if people have scheduling conflicts and can’t make it.
4. Make sure you have food that everyone can eat. Providing delicious food is a good way to ensure that employees enjoy themselves. Just make sure that everyone can partake in the offerings! If you have employees who are vegetarian, vegan, kosher, gluten-free, peanut-free or have other dietary restrictions, plan ahead of time to ensure they’ll be able to eat. Picking through a sad, wilted green salad while everyone else tucks into a lavish meal is a bummer and not a fun way to celebrate the holidays. Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to find one menu that will accommodate everyone; you may not be able to do that. Instead, just make sure that you have ample and tasty alternatives for people who need or prefer them. And if you’re unsure about your staff’s dietary needs, ask people ahead of time. Most people will really appreciate the thoughtfulness.
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5. Choose a convenient location. No matter how great the location you pick, people will not be pleased if it’s an hour away or otherwise hard to get to. If some of your employees rely on public transportation and don’t have cars, make sure the party is held somewhere they can get to. If you want to be extra thoughtful, consider offering transportation if you can. That’s the kind of touch that can make employees feel like you really thought about their needs. And speaking of location, think twice before holding a party on a boat, unless it stays docked. Otherwise people will be trapped and unable to leave a bit early if they’d prefer to.
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How Companies Can Throw Holiday Parties Employees Actually Want to Attend originally appeared on usnews.com
