Many Companies Spending More on Holiday Parties This Year

According to new research from staffing firm OfficeTeam, 93% of senior managers said their company will be hosting year-end holiday festivities.
Of those who noted holiday activities are taking place, respondents identified off-site and on-site parties (48% each) and office decorations (45%) as the most common plans.
When it comes to holiday parties, 41% of organizations are planning to spend more this year, and only 7% anticipate cutting costs.
Does that mean workers have to make an appearance at these events? No matter what the budget, 66% of managers indicated there’s an unwritten rule that employees should attend.

To Give or Not to Give?

Many professionals are in the holiday giving spirit: More than half of workers (58%) give year-end presents in the office; half of those employees provide gifts to colleagues, and 35% give one to their boss.
The research suggests professionals are eager to give gifts: 84% of workers who give out holiday presents do so because they want to, not because they feel obligated.
Of the 28 cities represented in the survey, San Diego, Miami, San Francisco, and Chicago have the most gift-giving employees, while Seattle, Cleveland, Minneapolis, and Denver have the fewest.

About the Research: The surveys were developed by OfficeTeam and conducted by independent research firms. They include responses from more than 2,800 senior managers at U.S. companies with 20 or more employees and more than 2,800 workers 18 years of age or older and employed in office environments in 28 major U.S. cities.