'It's food — not alcohol — that motivates younger workers to join in on the festive fun,' says expert discussing survey results
Despite strong demand, 27% of employers in the United States don't feel comfortable serving alcoholic beverages at their upcoming company parties, according to a new report.
Findings from ezCater revealed that 25% of decision-makers believe that serving alcohol for the holiday gatherings negatively affects the professional atmosphere.
Another 22% of the respondents said they have had negative experiences serving alcohol at holiday parties in the past.
The reluctance comes despite 48% of employees saying the drinks and festive cocktails are among the things that they look forward to the most from their company holiday party.
The number rises to 52% for millennial employees, according to the report, which said that the generation wants alcohol at holiday parties more than other generations.
But alcohol isn't the only thing that employees look forward to when it comes to holiday parties - in fact, it falls behind food, socialisation opportunities, and the chance to unwind.
"It's food — not alcohol — that motivates younger workers to join in on the festive fun," the report stated.
Source: ezCater
Holiday party: Who's coming?
The need to consider the impact of alcohol comes as 81% of workers are planning to come to this year's holiday party, much higher than the estimated 69% a year ago.
More than half of the respondents said their decision to attend is strongly influenced by who else is attending (56%) and the party location (52%).
And as the attendance rate spikes, 43% of employers are responding by making plans to spend more on their holiday party budgets.
Source: ezCater
According to the report, 49% of organisations plan to throw their parties during work hours, between lunchtime and happy hour.
This is in line with what 55% of employees want for a schedule. In addition, they also look forward to activities and games (24%) as well as entertainment (22%).
"With employee attendance and budgets trending up, holiday gatherings continue to be a big part of workplace culture," said Kaushik Subramanian, Chief Revenue Officer, ezCater, in a statement.
"Employees are increasingly looking for ways to socialise and build camaraderie, and there's no better opportunity for that than over a meal at the company holiday party."