Company holiday parties are falling out of fashion
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Your company's holiday party is probably pretty chill this year — maybe it's at a dive bar or a restaurant or even virtual — if you're having one at all.
Why it matters: The traditional corporate holiday bash is falling out of fashion as younger workers opt for more meaningful and activity-filled, less alcohol-saturated festivities.
By the numbers: The share of companies hosting any kind of holiday party has been declining for ages. In 2007, 90% of firms said they were hosting one, according to data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
- This year 64% of 173 companies surveyed told Challenger they're having one, a share that's flat from 2023.
- Ask the workers directly and the number looks even lower. A new Harris Poll of 1,238 employed adults, out Saturday, finds only 48% of workplaces now hold regular, annual, in-person holiday parties.
Zoom in: Virtual parties, unheard-of before COVID, are a growing fixture of work life.
- The share of companies hosting one rose slightly to 4.5% this year, up from 3.9% in 2023, per Challenger.
- In the Harris poll, 9% of respondents said they have an annual virtual party.
The big picture: Work culture has evolved considerably over the past decade.
- The impact of the MeToo movement put behavior at alcohol-soaked bashes under a microscope. (Employers generally want to avoid providing the ingredients for a sexual harassment lawsuit.)
- Meanwhile, COVID and the rise of remote work shook up workplace norms.
- Companies that have gone remote since 2020 have had to rethink their approach — from one big event, to smaller local gatherings or virtual meet-ups.
Where it stands: Generationally, tastes have changed. 42% of Gen Z workers surveyed by Harris would prefer no alcohol or a moderate amount at the party — compared to 37% of all workers.
- More than half of Gen Z and Millennial workers say they'd prefer a themed party with interactive elements (escape rooms, games, etc.) — compared to 44% for Gen X and 25% of Boomers.
- Cash is king though: 79% of workers surveyed said they'd prefer a bonus over a party.
What they're saying: "What is the goal of the holiday party? Is it to let off steam and have too much to drink? Or is it to really get to know each other better and bond and have these more meaningful interactions with colleagues — that's more what you see with Gen Z," says Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at The Harris Poll.
The bottom line: Once upon a time, a the notion of a raucous office holiday party evoked jokes about drunkenly photocopying someone's butt on the Xerox machine — today your butt is more likely to be in an office chair as you Zoom with colleagues.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show that 37% (not 35%) of all workers said they'd prefer little to no alcohol at a holiday party, per the Harris survey.
