Workplace
Cutbacks for the holidays
Holiday parties should be an opportunity to mingle with your bosses and co-workers, said Tara Weiss in Forbes.com, not a chance to get drunk on the boss’ dime. This year, many companies are looking for ways to keep employees relatively sober, according to an annual survey by executive search firm Battalia Winston. In 2007, “70 percent of companies will serve alcohol, a 15 percent drop from 2006.” Many companies that do foot the bill will try to curb alcohol consumption by closing the bar early, limiting drinks, or making the event a meal. Some say this sudden turn toward teetotaling is simply a product of a downturn in the economy. “Whatever the reason, it might be a blessing in disguise.”
Of course, some employers have done away with the party altogether, said Nicole C. Wong in The Boston Globe. “For years, employers facing tighter budgets have cut back on elaborate holiday parties.” A few innovative companies, however, are replacing the traditional fete with a different sort of reward. As an alternative, they give employees an extra day off, host weekday gatherings, or throw parties after the holiday season frazzle. Microsoft’s Boston-area offices, for instance, have their holiday gala in January, when employees’ schedules are less busy and vendors are willing to slash their prices.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Why au pairs might become a thing of the past
Under The Radar Brexit and wage ruling are threatening the 'mutually beneficial arrangement'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - political anxiety, jury sorting hat, and more
By The Week US Published