‘Tis the season for the annual company event that pretty much every employee wants to avoid. No, it’s not cleaning out the break room fridge, it’s the office holiday party. And new research reveals just how much people dread it.
According to a new survey of 1,155 full-time U.S. workers who are 18 or over, many of them would prefer doing some pretty awful things instead of this festive gathering.
- One in three employees would rather go to the dentist for any treatment than go to their office holiday party.
- But a quarter would take it one step further, as 27% would rather have a root canal than go to that work event.
- Men tend to dread it more than women, as 30% of them would prefer getting a root canal to attending their office holiday party, compared to 23% of women.
- And it’s not just that event workers want to steer clear of, it’s spending time together outside of work. Four in 10 say they’d rather go to the dentist than socialize with their coworkers after hours.
The survey from Sunny, a nonprofit “focused on improving social connection and well-being,” is part of their new study on The Great Disconnection at work. It blames things like hybrid working and AI tools for a lack of connection among teams and workplace staff. “You can’t Zoom your way to an engaged culture,” explains Betsy Parker, Sunny’s CEO. “Connection takes design, not just calendar invites.”
Source: Go Sunny
Scott's Thoughts:
- Tough news for all those on the office party planning committee!
- We do a simple lunch party with dirty Santa gift exchange.
- Candles suck as a Christmas gift. No candles!
