Are Christmas parties worth it?

It’s getting closer to Christmas party season, where bars and restaurants will soon be full of Christmas jumpers, turkey dinners and no doubt those that have enjoyed a few glasses of wine. Apart from some free food and drink for employees. What are the benefits of a company Christmas celebration?

Is all this money a waste of time or a worthy investment in employee satisfaction?

Rewarding

Working hard without any recognition is very demotivating. Whether it’s a party, a few drinks or a meal a celebration of any kind is a way of saying thank you to your staff and showing your appreciation for their effort over the past 12 months. It’s a small gesture that can go a long way. Keele University undertook research on the motivational value of events for businesses. Sam Booth, who heads up the University’s events arms says. “It’s the one time of year that you get the chance to truly reward employees for their input and engage them with business objectives for the year ahead […] No matter how big or small your Christmas budget, businesses should not underestimate the long-term value of engaging with employees by getting into the festive spirit.”

Cementing relationships

The Christmas celebration is a good opportunity for your staff to mingle, to build a relationship with their colleagues that goes beyond work and is a mixture of both professional and friendly.  It also gives people a chance to mix with those that are outside of their immediate working teams.  Improving rapport both within and between teams will have the added benefit of increased productivity, morale and motivation back in the office.

To summarise we think that the morale-boosting and relationship improving benefits far outweigh any negatives. Luckily for most the days of a few soggy sandwiches and a warm drink in the office after hours are now a thing of the past, with most employers putting a little more thought and effort into the annual celebrations.  If you want to add a little more sparkle to your Christmas event then we offer a range of beauty and massage services that can help get the party started, or why not book a lovely invigorating Indian head massage session for the day after?