Christmas | Why 1 in 4 employees are miserable at the office Xmas party

Your office Christmas party is supposed to be a time of celebration and bonding. You made it through another year together, and it’s time for your employees to let their hair down and enjoy themselves. And, done right, the party can be great engagement tool.

However, research from Perkbox has discovered that over a quarter (29%) of employees actually don’t like their work’s festive celebration – with the idea of ‘mandatory fun’ being to blame for many.

When asked why they were not in a party mood, more than one in three (34%) reported they don’t enjoy socialising with their colleagues at the Christmas party. For some, the social element can be intimidating, as a similar number (30%) said they find Christmas parties too cliquey, while more than one in four (27%) of those who said they aren’t keen on work Christmas parties said it was because they don’t believe in fun being forced on the company by management.

From our magazine

Comp & Bens | Help HR sleigh this Christmas

When workers were asked what they would prefer to do instead of a Christmas party if they had the choice, activities within closer-knit groups proved popular – more than one in five (23%) saying they would like a meal with their immediate team.