Christmas parties | Why neglecting staff rewards is a 'risky strategy'

As the summer months draw to a close, employees will start to look forward to the end of the year when seasonal festivities can start to begin, which includes the annual Christmas party.

A yearly event the majority of employees look forward to in order to let their hair down after 12 months of hard work, the celebration offers employers the chance to thank their staff for their continued efforts, while also welcoming in a new year.

However, following the global pandemic, HR teams have had to ask themselves whether a Christmas party will be feasible this year considering the rules around social distancing. But it seems that employees are optimistic that they will be able to take place, as 60% of respondents in a study carried out by the venue IET Birmingham: Austin Court revealed that they expect Christmas parties to be more important than ever in 2020.

Despite this 25% claimed that their Christmas party is looking unlikely for now, with 39% of those not participating sharing that they would expect a summer party as an alternative in 2021.