Almost two-thirds of managers consider staff Christmas parties a behavioural minefield while one-third don’t enjoy them at all.
61% of managers think that company Christmas parties are a behavioural minefield, with one in five knowing someone who has been disciplined or fired thanks to overenthusiastic festive frolics, according to a new survey carried out by the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM).
20% of managers also said that they had been inappropriately drunk at a Christmas party, with one in ten admitting to having canoodled with a co-worker. In addition, many stated that their organisation had implemented new behavioural policies after a particularly raucous festive bash.
Surprisingly only 31% of respondents said that they had changed their behaviour at work Christmas parties since being promoted to a management position, so the potential for embarrassing incidents in 2009 looks set to continue.
Penny de Valk, Chief Executive of ILM, said: “At the risk of sounding scrooge-like, managers have to be careful that they don’t wake up the morning after the staff Christmas party seriously regretting their behaviour.
“By all means embrace the festive spirit and have fun, but also remember that you are a role model for your team and that it isn’t wise to do anything inappropriate that will impact on your professionalism in the long-term!”
Are Christmas parties worth the effort?
ILM’s survey also revealed that two-thirds are disappointed with the amount of effort their company puts into parties. 39% of people do not think they put in any effort at all, while 34% believe that Christmas work events are cobbled together on a shoestring budget.
Almost a third of those surveyed did not enjoy Christmas parties, with many seeing them as a ‘necessary evil.’ De Valk added: “Given that Christmas parties are an extra expense, it is surprising that some companies go ahead regardless of whether the experience is valuable or enjoyable for staff. This begs the questions as to whether a large function is always the best kind of reward. In some cases a smaller more informal lunch, or a symbol of appreciation such as a gift token might be more appropriate, to show staff that they are valued.”
ILM surveyed 232 managers. Overall 63% of respondents said that they would hold a Christmas party this year, with 84% of those celebrating with a bash held outside of their workplace.
In terms of rewards, 71% stated that they would not receive any Christmas bonus. Out of those who said that they would receive a bonus, 38% said that they were likely to get a financial reward, followed by 24% who would receive a gift.
