Right: all together: “It’s Christmas time… mistletoe and wine… children singing Christian rhymes…”
Does the thought of Cliff’s cheesy Chrimbo ballot swell your heart with tinsel and turkey anticipation, or make you feel sick that it’s nearly that time of year again? And when that work e-mail about the Christmas party drops into your inbox over the coming weeks, does it make you anxious about the antics from last year’s do or do you dream happily of what you’re going to wear?
Well, according to members of the British Psychological Society, thinking about Christmas early is both a good and bad thing.
On the positive side, getting things done now for the festive season can actually relieve stress, says Dr Sandi Mann, lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire.
“From a psychology point of view, the earlier the better – the more planning, the lower your stress levels are going to be because you are spreading the stress out,” says Mann.
She also does not believe that talking about Christmas too early distracts employees from their work. “I think it can have a good effect because it gives people something to look forward to. These months are a bit dreary and we need something [exciting in the near future], so it can make the mood in the office a bit more buoyant.”
In fact, Mann adds, firms should be acknowledging Christmas actively. “It sends a very positive message to employees to say, ‘This is the one time of the year we are going to do something for you, and to reward you. It’s the one time of the year you can let your hair down a bit’.”
However, fellow BPS member Dr Andrina McCormack, an applied chartered psychologist, warns of Christmas overload, particularly for workers with children, as shops are already starting to fill with toys. “A lot of workers are dealing with the anticipation of Christmas from their children at home. So employers would be advised to take the pressure off in the work place.
“Of course, if employers are seen to be supporting their workforce with a staff event, they get much better work out of them. So get the date in the diary for the staff party but then leave the topic of Christmas alone.”
Colliers: Tony Horrell, chief executive, UK & Ireland
• Best time to plan your work Christmas party? For our London-based teams we usually book the venue in August – the good places often get booked up early. August is a quiet month and it gives us plenty of time to take our pick from appropriate venues.
• Can it distract workers if Christmas is mentioned too early? No, I don’t think that Christmas party planning distracts employees at all. Everybody looks forward to celebrating each year, but business comes first. We always give people plenty of notice because we know that diaries get full quickly – people have a busy social calendar in December, juggling business and family commitments. We see it as a great opportunity to reward hard work through the year, and to celebrate with colleagues and clients.
• What does your company do for its workers at Christmas? Our marketing team organises a London party and the office managers in each city are responsible for organising parties for the teams in the regions. Individual teams arrange their own events too. The budget is based on a cost per head and parties involve food, a few drinks and dancing. We also give our employees in the UK three discretionary “family days” of leave over the Christmas break, and we finish early on Christmas Eve.
• With the economy on the turn, will we see big parties come back? I think the sector will continue to be fairly conservative for a few years. There were very few who “cancelled Christmas” but most just toned it down.
Strettons: Ben Tobin, director
• Best time to plan your work Christmas party? Staff like as much time as possible to plan things, although if they are planning holidays they usually approach us. Property management is our biggest department and of course quarter days are of paramount importance, so we insist that each team retains a basic level of cover and has some staff in the office between Christmas and New Year when the remainder of the offices are closed. We normally make an announcement on our closing times straight after the summer.
• Can it distract workers if Christmas is mentioned too early? On the contrary – it gives people something to look forward to.
• What does your company do for its workers at Christmas? It varies from year to year. Traditionally we close early on the final day with a reception at lunchtime for all the staff. As the number of offices and the number of staff has grown, this has become harder and each team now plans its own outing.
Savills
• Best time to hold your work Christmas party? December, during the first couple of weeks, on either a Wednesday or a Thursday. People tend to be busy with their friends and family any later than this. The end of November is the earliest we would hold it. People need to be in the mood for Christmas.
• Can it distract workers if Christmas is mentioned too early? No, it needs to be booked into people’s diaries early. Christmas is a particularly busy time inside and outside of work for people’s diaries. We usually send our first invitation out during September, with a last reminder at the beginning of November.
• What does your company do for its workers at Christmas? We hold Christmas parties across the UK for staff, with a varied format depending on the individual office’s traditions.
