Discussion Thread

  • 1.  Company holiday events: dos and don'ts

    Posted 12-16-2022 03:50 PM

    By now it is likely that most of us have been involved in some sort of holiday party hosted by an employer. I thought it might be interesting to hear about some holiday party success stories and some lessons learned as well.

    This post can apply to holiday parties, gift-giving stories, bonuses, etc. Feel free to expand on this idea as widely as desired. 

    I'll go first with some observations of my own:

    Do: ask for a list of all dietary sensitivities if you are an employer who wants to get food catered.

    I've seen multiple cases of people who were vegetarian, celiac, or otherwise who weren't thought of at a holiday event focused solely around food.

    Do: keep virtual parties short and make sure someone is actively running the show.

    I've seen virtual parties where everyone is sort of just sitting there. Most people don't want to be there and there will be a few trying to make small talk. This can go downhill very quickly if you work with staff who are still not familiar with virtual meeting etiquette (muting when not speaking, eliminating background noise, getting up and walking away for extended periods with their camera on). Its important to have someone from the company prepared to push an activity or conversation along if you are committed to a virtual event.

    Don't: expect everyone to drink alcohol.

    This is an obvious one but for various reasons not everyone will want to drink alcohol at an event. Having a few non-alcoholic alternatives is always a plus.

    Don't: pick an event that may exclude a large amount of people.

    Activity based parties are a blast, but make sure to pick the type of activity that can accommodate people of varying ages, levels of fitness, and mobility.

    Don't: be afraid to list a few ideas and let your staff be involved in the decision.

    In the past, I've seen employers present a few ideas and let the staff decide what to do that year. It usually turned out well and resulted in a larger turnout than otherwise.

    Don't: be afraid to do smaller group parties if a single large party is going to be difficult to do well.

    There have been many years where the company I work for hosted different company events by office. Sometimes these work better than trying to get a larger amount of people who don't really work together into the same space.

    Do you have any other suggestions for what makes a good holiday party or event?



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    Christopher Seigel P.E., M.ASCE
    Civil Engineer
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  • 2.  RE: Company holiday events: dos and don'ts

    Posted 12-19-2022 11:45 AM
    Thank you for sharing this Christopher, the amount of times I couldn't eat or drink anything because nobody asked, it should be common sense to provide non alcoholic options and some vegetarian options without even asking.

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    Mahmoud Jassar Aff.M.ASCE
    Field Engineer I
    Oak Creek WI
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  • 3.  RE: Company holiday events: dos and don'ts

    Posted 12-19-2022 11:45 AM
    One thing that was done for our departmental Christmas party this year was assigned table seating to intentionally group people together with someone they would know well and some people they may not work with as closely. Each table seemed to have great conversations going during the meals, and I think it helped eliminate the awkwardness of trying to figure out which table to join or someone feeling left out of a table with their friends that ran out of seats. 

    The invitation also allowed for a "plus one" to come with each person, so it is always nice when everyone knows they have the option to not show up alone. I went by myself, but I really enjoyed meeting some coworkers' spouses / significant others that I hadn't had the chance to meet yet and catching up with those I'd met previously.


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    Heidi C. Wallace, P.E., M.ASCE
    Tulsa, OK
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  • 4.  RE: Company holiday events: dos and don'ts

    Posted 12-28-2022 01:36 PM
    I imagine that finding the right balance for the seating was tricky since some people might know everyone and others might not know anyone, but I really like the intentionality of the idea. A +1 is always nice too. I don't usually use that benefit either since I'm pretty comfortable without it but I know many people who really appreciate that option.

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    Christopher Seigel P.E., M.ASCE
    Civil Engineer
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