End-of-year parties offer an opportunity for organisations to show how grateful they are for their staff's hard work or for some extreme human resources (HR) violations.
“Don't panic ... if there's one thing humans are good at, it's turning even the most disastrous of events into tales of legendary hilarity or, at least, into stories you tell at next year's party,” says Linda Trim, director at workplace design consultancy Giant Leap.
She advises:
- Parties can lift morale and team spirit, not unlike a group therapy session, but with more drinks;
- There are also plenty of opportunities for embarrassing karaoke solos and oversharing;
- A get-together lets people to meet colleagues they may never interact with — though this may not always be a good idea;
- As tempting as it may be to treat employees, work parties and budgets need to be closely managed;
- There are bound to be some regrets afterward, along with some hangovers, facing colleagues the next day may be awkward; and
- Ultimately, each company needs to weigh up the pros and cons before deciding whether to take the plunge.
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