Wreath-making, indoor crazy golf and laser clay-pigeon shooting are in. Drinking until the early hours is out.
Workers heading to this year’s office Christmas party may have a different experience as many employers ditch the usual alcohol-fuelled drinks events for more sober affairs, including afternoon activities.
“Finishing early is the new going out,” says Thomas Morgan, head of venues at Riba in central London, who observes that interest in daytime events is rising.
The trend away from boozy late-night parties is driven partly by the younger generation embracing healthier lifestyles. “Gen Z doesn’t drink as much,” says one banker. “Very different crowd to when I started in banking.”
It also reflects a stronger desire for inclusivity, fears among employers over the potential for misconduct and the rise of the post-pandemic experience economy.
Staff are “increasingly putting their foot down about post-work events as they try to maintain a clear boundary between their work and personal lives”, adds Morgan.
While it is premature to read the last rites for the company-wide bash — Simon Dodd, chief executive of pub group Young’s, says rising demand for office parties in the City of London is boosting festive bookings by 33 per cent compared with last year — employers including banks and law firms are opting for smaller team events.
Pizza Pilgrims says it has record Christmas bookings this year, boosted by a new initiative called Pizza Masterclasses, which is popular with corporate clients. Its site in Canary Wharf, home to international banks, has been renovated to include a dedicated kitchen for group lessons. “It’s much more experiential . . . and it’s been so popular,” says Thom Elliot, co-founder of the pizza chain.
Convene, the hospitality group, is offering indoor ice hockey, Connect 4, and fake snowball throwing. Professional services firm PwC’s team socials this year include laser clay pigeon shooting and mince pie making.
While these activities distract staff from the bar, they unite colleagues in other ways. “Companies are increasingly needing Christmas parties and social events to bring the teams together in a post-pandemic, working from home world,” says Alex Harman, president of Toca Social. His UK chain of bars that offer indoor football is reporting double-digit growth in office Christmas bookings. “The key to bonding with a team is a shared experience,” he says.
Niamh Martin, UK managing director at Convene, adds: “People want experiences; [they] are a lot more health conscious these days. The flight to experience trend [is] in the US and UK. They want something more engaging.”
According to estate agent Savills, the number of venues in Britain offering competitive socialising, including axe throwing and pétanque, has risen 40 per cent since 2018.
In the past three years, Alice Howard, owner of London-based Botanique Workshop, has seen a sharp rise in requests from law firms, banks and PR agencies for Christmas workshops, including making wreaths. “People are wanting to come together and do something. Younger generations don’t want to go out and get drunk; [they] want something different.”
Kate Healy, founder of the Together Collective, runs Christmas wreath-making and candle workshops for companies, and offers stands with activities such as decorating a gingerbread biscuit or painting a bauble. She says: “Some companies aren’t having a big party but organising festivities in the office.”
An article in the scientific journal Nature indicates these kinds of events help engage staff. It found that fun activities and non-alcoholic drinks at a Christmas party enhanced employee happiness, while heavy drinking did not. A recent survey by caterer Compass found a quarter of employees in 21 countries wanted alcohol at work events, and 39 per cent requested activities that did not involve alcohol.
The shift in mood reflects a growing vigilance towards misconduct. Tim Martin, chair of the no-frills British pub chain JD Wetherspoon, which does not take bookings for Christmas parties, says there are fewer formal office dos this year. “There’s more legal pressure on companies now to take charge of people during office parties, as lawyers are always pointing out the dangers of companies organising [these events].” He adds: “There are still parties associated with office life but they’re less organised by companies and more informally by workers.”
“Sexism in the City”, a report published this year by the Treasury select committee, found that “many of the worst cases of sexual harassment took place outside the office, happening, for example, at conferences and drinks events”. Last year, the Chartered Management Institute found almost a third of managers had witnessed inappropriate behaviour or harassment at a work party. Amanda Arrowsmith at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, observes that “anyone working in HR will have their fair share of horror stories that have happened because of employees overindulging at Christmas parties”.
In the UK, recent updates to the Equality Act have made employers more responsible for preventing sexual harassment. This means considering the “type, duration of provision and amounts of alcohol”, according to Andrea London, employment partner at law firm Winckworth Sherwood.
Increasing interest in misconduct from “investors and regulators — as well as the media” means the reputational stakes are higher, according to Ailie Murray, employment partner at Travers Smith. In response, some companies appoint a “designated driver” — a chaperone looking out for any potential party wrongdoing — to limit the number of alcoholic drinks or impose an early finish time. She recommends employers specify a conduct policy, including how to raise concerns if incidents arise.
Phillippa O’Connor, chief people officer at PwC, underlines the necessity of reminding staff “of the importance of personal responsibility, care and respect at all events, underpinned by clear policies and guidance”.
Pubs are also responding by increasing their non-alcoholic offerings. Simon Emeny, chief executive of Fuller, Smith & Turner, says bookings for Christmas are up 15 per cent compared with this time last year, including strong corporate bookings, but he notes a move away from alcohol. “Christmas will be a big time for people who want to enjoy the festive period, but not necessarily drink alcohol,” he says. The pub group has “significantly increased” its range of no and low-alcohol drinks, which it says is the fastest-growing category, with sales up 84 per cent in the six months to September.
Others are reporting changing behaviour among partygoers. Angus Brydon, managing director of BM Caterers, which provides food and drink at corporate events, says: “People are leaving earlier, not hanging around at the end. People have been working at home [and are] more mindful of returning home not too late.”
Roger Pizey, executive head of pastry at Fortnum & Mason, says there is “a large number of corporate parties wanting to celebrate Christmas in the tea salon this year in particular”.
There is also an increasing trend of people “bookending” an evening out with soft drinks or so-called “zebra striping” — alternating non-alcoholic with alcoholic drinks. One survey found two in three adults (rising to 78 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds) moderate their alcohol consumption by mixing it up this way.
Julia Green, head of corporate events at Center Parcs conferences and events agrees that expectations around alternatives to alcohol have changed. “We are seeing a different generation [of] event planners. They are looking at things differently. In the past there was a formula to an event. It’s not just orange juice as an alternative to prosecco. We’re being asked to match the quality.”
Laura Willoughby, founder of Club Soda, which advocates for mindful drinking, notes that younger workers are “the most sober generation”.
“They’re keen not to get too drunk, have embarrassing pictures on Instagram, and feel anxious. [The] ladette generation were taught that alcohol helped anxiety, the younger generation know alcohol makes it worse.”
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