The idea of having parties at work is often considered to be a vital aspect of the workplace culture. Employers often feel that they are required to throw corporate events for their employees on occasion in an attempts to show their employees appreciation and to encourage employees to meet one another.
Do employees actually enjoy gatherings at work? The responses are usually divisive, with employees generally hating or loving these kinds of gatherings. The reason they either love or dislike these events usually depends on the way they view their coworkers. Although work parties offer some benefits however, it’s not always an appropriate idea to require employees to interact with each other.
With the holiday season right close at hand We thought it would be interesting to discuss the things to and from working parties to ensure you’re more prepared to make the appropriate decisions in relation to the long-standing office tradition.
Benefits of work events
Work parties wouldn’t be successful in sustaining their popularity for this long in the absence of some advantages surely? The potential benefits for work parties are:
Let your employees know how much that you are thankful for them.
A work party can take quite a bit of work and money. If you are able to provide your employees with a memorable experience, they’re bound to enjoy it. Making sure that your employees know how much you appreciate their contribution to your business is an excellent method of increasing morale and improve retention of employees. However working parties are not the only method to show your employees how much you appreciate them.
Let everyone relax and enjoy themselves.
The work atmosphere can be extremely stressful. Work parties is a fantastic way to reduce stress and give the chance for employees to unwind and enjoy themselves. What do you think? Maybe your employees don’t enjoy a lot of social life and a staff party is something they are looking forward to in their social calendar.
Employees develop interpersonal relationships
It’s not a great idea to be too involved in your employees’ private lives, you must be interested in becoming acquainted with them more intimately. Work events are a great method for your employees to meet each other and also meet people from different departments, and your employer and the management.
Increase motivation
After throwing a work event, workers may experience an increase in motivation. Whatever activity you choose to engage in helps employees relax and build the confidence they require to face issues at work.
What time of the year are work parties most likely to be successful?
It is more likely for work parties to be an enjoyable experience in the case of a tightly knit group of people who enjoy the company of each other and would be happy to enjoy themselves while getting to know one others better. The most successful work parties are likely to be successful if they’ve been planned with care and the participants’ needs and wants were taken into consideration.
Some tips for those who plan to host a work-related party
If you’re looking to host a corporate celebration and would like it to go as smoothly as it can be there are some points you must be thinking about. Making a decision on the type of party you’d like to attend isn’t enough. Some tips are:
Cater for everyone
Have you got employees who have special dietary requirements? It is essential to discover this information and make sure your food and drinks you serve are geared towards everyone in your workforce and not only the majority. It’s not a good idea to have someone go hungry because you failed to make a reservation for vegetarian food or something similar.
It is also important to be attentive to the employees’ religions and cultures and ensure that your activities are inclusive to everyone.
Be brief but sweet
The longer a work party goes on longer, the more likely it will cause employees to be dissatisfied, bored or even for drama to occur. It is best to leave the employees with a desire for more. Remember that employees are also obligated to other obligations in addition to relatives and friends that they might wish to meet during the Christmas season. Therefore, keep your parties brief sweet and focused.
It is worth your employees their time and effort.
If you are having a party not scheduled during working hours, keep in mind that you’re taking the employees’ time Therefore, it should be worthwhile! In this sense, we are saying that your event should be high-end. This implies tasty food, a pleasant environment, a memorable event that is unique and maybe some thrilling entertainment that will make the night memorable.
Choose a convenient location
If the gathering isn’t held in your company premises, consider the venue you pick. It must be a suitable place that everyone can get to easily. When the venue is away it is possible to think about providing transportation to the event. It is not ideal for your employees to to travel further away from their homes or pay a large amount for transportation just to go to the workplace party.
Don’t make it mandatory.
Know that your employees live lives outside of work. They might have other commitments on weekends and evening obligations which you don’t know about. Perhaps they don’t want to attend an event in which they are required to socialize and talk to their colleagues. That’s why attending should be encouraged to ensure that everyone feels welcome however, it is not mandatory.
Distribute awards
One of the greatest benefits of hosting work parties is to show appreciation for your employees. To further emphasize this it is possible to hand some special awards at the work celebration. They can be formal or amusing and fun.
Work parties of various types
The majority of people think of the traditional idea of a work party as drinking and dining experience, however there are many alternatives to utilize for a work-related party, for example:
A river cruise
Paintball
Live music
A pottery class
Dance class
Comedy show
There are endless possibilities however, you must take an in-depth look at your employees’ interests and the ones they share and the options available in your own area before choosing a path that your employees would love.
The potential negatives of work parties
We now come to the negatives. Be sure to read these downfalls with care because some of them could be very serious for you as well as your employees.
Some people feel marginalized
Marginalized groups typically feel marginalized and ostracized at office parties , where they do not feel like they belong with the other members of the crowd. It can result in a negative effect on morale as well as retention of employees. While you’ll be able to try to provide to all your employees, there’s usually nothing you can do in regards to group dynamics, and some employees feeling isolated.
Employees are compelled to attend even when they don’t want to
employees who feel that they are being ostracized, or those who don’t like socializing or socialising with friends, may feel that they are required to go to work functions even though they would rather not. This could result in feelings of discontent and anger at their job and with their boss and coworkers.
A great opportunity to engage in bickering and gossip
If there’s one thing you’d like to avoid, it’s workplace drama. In reality, work-related events can provide a breeding ground for bickering, gossiping and other types of drama. People may feel they can talk more easily in a social setting as opposed to at work which can result in disrespect or even rudeness. There’s nothing that you can do to avoid this kind of situation from occurring However, an argument or incident that occurs at a workplace celebration could leave a bad impression on employees’ minds for a long time to be.
The issue of alcohol
If you don’t include alcohol at your work event it is likely that there are going to be people who are unhappy If you add alcohol to the mix, this might cause more stress, employees drinking too much, and many other problems. The issue of alcohol is a major one you’ll be able to contemplate very carefully if you are planning to host a workplace party.
Charges
A work-related party could be a significant expense for your company. Although it could be worthwhile in the event that everything goes according the plan, you must consider if this is actually the most effective method to reward employees using the funds you have at your disposal.
For employees to give them more 1s or not.
The ability for employees to take their spouses or family members along could make the event much more enjoyable and more convenient for some employees. However, those who don’t have a companion may feel unhappy and lonely during an event that’s joyful for everyone else. The addition of more people to feed can add to the costs and more people could cause more tension. Therefore, it is essential to be very careful before inviting employees to bring their loved ones.
Work parties are the likely to fail
It is less likely to be successful when you have a huge multi-ethnic group of employees who are already struggling to make friends. If there are cliques and marginalised groups, you might be in issues if you don’t take the time to ensure that there is a suitable menu to everyone.
Alternatives to office events
We have mentioned the idea of throwing a workplace party is certainly not the only method to show gratitude to your employees. If you think throwing a party for your employees can be more work than it’s worth, then you might consider some options:
Let employees have the day to take off
As the holiday season comes around, everyone enjoys the more time to spend with family and friends. The idea of giving your employees an extra day off may be beneficial for them, and less stress for you than to host a party for your employees.
Give employees Christmas hampers
The gifting of Christmas presents to employees or hampers show that you’re a little of Christmas spirit but without the stress and disappointments associated with workplace celebrations. It is possible to make each hamper based on the employee’s personal preferences, or you could give a general hamper to everyone in order to stave against jealousy and competition.
Christmas gift
Money speaks. If you don’t want to spend a significant sum of money for an office celebration, why not split the money among your employees and give the employees an annual 13th check or a year-end bonus? There is no reason to be unhappy with a bit of extra spending money.
Take a short, annual lunch at the office
This is a fantastic compromise since it could be viewed as an informal work-related party because food and even entertainment is possible however, there’s less chances of getting lost as it is held in the norms of work and will be kept simple and short.
Inform your employees
The issue of whether office parties are great or not is largely dependent on the company. It also is largely dependent on your employees’ interpersonal interactions. When you’re deciding to host an employee celebration, it’s an excellent idea to talk to your employees and figure out whether the idea of a party is something they would actually enjoy or not. It could be put down as a vote anonymously or take suggestions from employees.
It is crucial to consider the opinions of your employees about this into account. as an employer it’s your duty to decide what’s best for your employees and the business. Although there could be negative reactions if you choose to postpone the annual company party, you can avoid a lot of stress in the end If you offer any kind of financial reward instead of a formal celebration it is likely that there will be a little complaints.
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