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wear ,” remembers Peters . More recently , the toned-down parties feature doughnut walls ( doughnuts hang off pegs and people help themselves ), candy walls and game rooms for the employees ’ kids .
Companies have pivoted to lunches , toy drives , golfing , bowling , poker nights or making a charitable contribution . In lieu of the holiday party , Pacific Staffing ( Kuar ’ s company ) invites employees to a luncheon , and then donates to Women ’ s Empowerment , a Sacramento-based nonprofit organization that helps women experiencing homelessness .
Other companies now host brunch . “ They don ’ t have to deal with the alcohol as much , and it ’ s a daytime event , so they still have their evenings free ,” says Peters , who , in recent nonpandemic years , has coordinated holiday brunches , serving less ( if any ) alcohol and more eggs Benedicts , bread pudding , frittatas and make-your-ownburrito bars . Out with the bourbon , in with the blueberry pancakes .
A very pandemic holiday
In late August , when Kuar asked nine of her clients if they were planning a holiday party , only one said they would attempt anything in person . “ Everybody else said they plan to do something virtually ,” says Kuar . Just as videoconferencing has replaced in-person meetings , Zoom galas might replace in-person holiday parties .
“ This year is not going to be normal at all ,” says Heathfield . Worley agrees , noting that parties are simply not top of mind . “ People are so focused in other areas ,” says Worley , such as economic distress , politics , fires , protests , Black Lives Matter or the other challenges of 2020 .
Then there are the fiscal realities . “ Christmas parties reflect what the economy is doing ,” says Susan Crane , owner of The Party Concierge , another Sacramento company that organizes holiday parties . “ When the economy is running well , Christmas parties are all decked out . It really does flow with the economy .” Given the grim economic condition for much of the nation — on top of the pandemic uncertainty — this does not bode well for the holiday season . “ We don ’ t know what ’ s going to happen ,” says Crane .
Neither does Tesco , or at least not as of early October . “ I don ’ t know what the world is going to look like in December ,” says Hunter , but she still
“ I would get notes from readers that went on and on about how a senior executive who stripped naked and climbed the telephone pole . I don ’ t get notes like that anymore . Employers are doing things to limit the drinking .”
SUSAN HEATHFIELD Management consultant and HR expert , The Balance Careers
plans to do something fun to recognize and reward employees . The company is getting creative . For example , Tesco annually has a Shoot the Hoop basketball contest , where each department takes turns taking shots . This year , in October , every department had a socially distanced 20-minute time slot to shoot the hoop , they recorded the event , and then one department got bragging rights . Just as the company switched Shoot the Hoop to virtual , Hunter expects it can do something similar in December , like virtual cooking classes . “ We ’ ll all be online , and a chef will help us cook ,” says Hunter .
The purpose of a holiday party is to reward employees and boost camaraderie , and that could be especially important as we close out 2020 . “ Owners still want to recognize the work employees are doing , especially this year , as it ’ s a hard year for everybody ,” says Peters . When employees are stuck at home , hunched over their laptops , quietly clacking — all while watching over or homeschooling their kids — they ’ re not getting much in the way of recognition or warm fuzzies .
This is why some clients of Randy Peters Catering have the company deliver gift boxes , such as packages with homemade barbecue sauce , to employees . One of Kuar ’ s clients is sending flowers . Another is writing handwritten cards to thank people . Others send an Amazon gift card and a personalized note of thanks .
When most employees think about where they want to work , says Heathfield , they consider not just the basics like salary , title and scope of work , but also the company culture . They ask themselves questions : Is the culture one of team building ? Is it inclusive ? Is this the kind of company where I can make friends ? Yes , even fun matters . They might not require a crowd of 10,000 , a Googlympus or even an open bar , but being recognized still counts . Holiday parties are a way to reinforce values . This is why Heathfield predicts that , “ even with all the potential problems of holiday parties , smart employers will be willing to struggle with this forever .”
Jeff Wilser is the author of seven books , most recently “ Becoming a Firefighter ,” from Simon & Schuster ’ s Masters at Work series . On Twitter @ jeffwilser .
58 comstocksmag . com | November 2020