‘Tis the season of holiday celebrations with friends, family and, yes—coworkers.
Work holiday party attendees can typically be divided into two camps: those who look forward to donning an ugly sweater and doing shots with Lloyd in accounting, and those who have their “I can’t make it” excuses locked in long before December 1st.
Good news for the latter camp: the number of companies hosting any kind of holiday party is on the decline.
In 2007, 90% of firms said they were hosting one, according to data from (the coincidentally named) Challenger, Gray & Christmas. In 2024, that number dropped to just 64%.
After spending 40-plus hours a week already with coworkers, do you really need to give up an evening in the busiest time of the year to small talk over bought-in-bulk canapés?
Short answer: if you can, you probably should.
Despite having the word “party” in the name, it is still a work event. Even if your company claims the party is optional, the subtext here is skipping the party may be frowned upon, or, at the very least, who does and doesn’t attend will be noted by management.
And if you are in a leadership position, you pretty much have no choice in the matter.
Opting out without good reason could make workers seem disengaged from the job or the team. (A fair assessment considering employee engagement is at a ten-year low). This may come back to bite when being considered for promotions down the line: being visible and building relationships are key to getting promoted.
For many employees, though, that mindset feels old-fashioned: People are increasingly focused on maintaining a firm line between their job and their personal life. Their schedules are packed, they may be juggling childcare or health conditions, or they might simply not want to go — without needing to justify the decision.
It all comes at a time in which tolerance for “forced fun” in the workplace feels at an all-time low, from retirement parties to after-work happy hours, which Gen Z has become particularly averse to.
A 2023 survey of 1,000 U.S. workers by people analytics platform Visier found nearly two-thirds said they had cut back or stopped attending work events outside normal hours, including holiday parties. If your boss doesn’t plan to go, and a large chunk of your coworkers usually skip it anyway, then you’re probably fine doing the same.
Still, young professionals in particular are largely pro-office party, with 95% of workers between 18 and 34 believing holiday soirees “boost engagement,” according to an Indeed study. Holiday parties can be fun if you make them so. (Even if they can be HR’s worst nightmare.)
If you’re keen to skip, there are ways to say no to work events while still being considered a team player. But if forced festive fun is your own personal hell, remember, you don’t have to stay for the full length of the party if you don’t want to.
Make sure your boss sees you, swipe a couple of hors d’oeuvres, and stealthfully dip after an hour. (And you don’t even need to wish anyone season’s greetings on the way out.)