Bah Humbug!

According to research by HR experts Croner, two-thirds of workers prefer to be anywhere but the Christmas work party.

The YouGov survey of 1209 British workers found that 43% of respondents said that work Christmas parties are okay but they would rather be somewhere else. While 20% said that they are awful and they would do anything to avoid them and, if they do go, they can’t wait to leave.
This means a total of 63% are against the festive gatherings.Interestingly 41% of who think Christmas parties are awful, preferring not to socialise with colleagues outside of work anyway.

In addition to this 12 % of respondents have had bad experiences at Christmas work parties in the past. With findings also suggesting that smaller gatherings may be preferred over big company bashes. When asked what type of Christmas celebration/party employers should offer, just under a third (32%) said an organised company Christmas party.

Jo Pitts, employment advisor at Croner, says: "Employers have been stressing out over the last few years about the dangers of holding a Christmas party, but what the survey has highlighted is the fact that few employees these days enjoy them....We would suggest that employers, where possible, liaise with their employees to find out what their preference would be and then look at what options are available which meet the needs and resources of the business,”