SmartPulse — our weekly reader poll in Smartbrief on Workforce — tracks feedback from leading managers and HR practitioners. We run the poll question each Wednesday in our e-newsletter and feature analysis from Lance Haun, vice president of outreach for MeritBuilder, the main guy over at Rehaul.com and a member of the SmartBrief on Workforce Advisory Board, on this blog.
Last week’s poll question: Has your company made any changes to the annual holiday party this year?
- No, our holiday party has remained the same, 34%
- Yes, our holiday party still lives on but has been cut back, 26%
- Yes, our holiday party has been eliminated, 26%
- We’ve never had a holiday party, 12%
- Yes, and we’re spending more this year, 2%
“With a little over 50% saying that their holiday parties have been reduced or eliminated, I have to wonder what the value of these parties have been to companies. Many see little value outside of the morale boost it can provide, but company-sponsored holiday parties can be among the most affordable ways to express appreciation on a per-employee basis. Still, I suspect that when the economy improves, many of these parties will not return to their full glory (if you can call it that).” –Lance Haun