Christmas parties are possible again this year – and many companies are also planning one.
(Photo: Scott Warman/Unsplash)
Dusseldorf Cocktail bar, DJ and dance floor – at the outdoor clothing manufacturer Vaude, the Christmas party is going like it did before Corona. There is only one difference from before: if you still have reservations about celebrating indoors, you can talk to colleagues outside with mulled wine in front of warming fire barrels.
Like the Baden-Württemberg family company, many companies want to organize a company Christmas party again, according to a Handelsblatt survey of the 40 Dax companies and 15 family companies.
Because of the corona restrictions, face-to-face celebrations have been canceled almost everywhere in the past two years. Instead, there were often virtual alternatives or gifts in the mail.
This year you can celebrate again without a mask and with less distance: three of the 40 Dax companies with Hannover Re, Puma and the biotech company Qiagen are organizing a Christmas party for the entire workforce.
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23 other companies such as Allianz, Bayer, Continental or Siemens are once again allowing their employees to celebrate at department or team level. In large companies, even before Corona, it was common for not all employees to be together at a party, but to spend time together in smaller groups.
There are celebrations, but company events are often smaller this year than before the pandemic. Gastronomy and the event industry suffer from this, for which the pre-Christmas period is traditionally the time with the highest turnover. Several restaurateurs report to the Handelsblatt that companies no longer reserve the large halls, but that teams and departments only have dinner together.
In a Dehoga survey, only 55 percent of the companies describe the reservations as good or satisfactory, while 45 percent as bad. Dehoga President Guido Zöllick, on the other hand, remains hopeful that business could still pick up, since “guests book much more quickly today” than in the past.
“Backlog demand for Christmas parties”
The event planners also report that bookings have so far been somewhat more restrained than before Covid. But they could still reach the same level, according to Bernd Fritzges, Chairman of the Association of Event Organizers, which brings together event professionals from companies and their service providers.
Even before the pandemic, excessive Christmas parties with dancing were on the decline. This trend has intensified due to fear of larger waves of infection in the workforce. But Fritzges also says: “After more than two years of the pandemic, companies have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to Christmas parties.”
Many employees look forward to the celebrations, especially in times of crisis, because they stand for continuity, security and community. Occupational psychologist Hannes Zacher.
For many employees, they are even the highlight of the year. Such festivals are an important ritual to strengthen the social bond between the employees and to increase their motivation, according to work psychologist Hannes Zacher. “Many employees look forward to the celebrations, especially in times of crisis, because they stand for continuity, security and community,” says the expert from Leipzig University.
>> Read here: Christmas market on the car park roof – This is how Germany’s companies held their Christmas parties in 2021
The fact that many company Christmas parties are a little more contemplative this time is not a problem. “It’s about the thing itself. Values and symbols play a bigger role than the material – especially at the end of this challenging year.”
bmw and Covestro do not hold any Christmas parties
Three Dax companies have postponed the festival. At Telekom “for reasons of planning security” there will be no celebration, instead the group wants to organize a summer party for its employees again in 2023. Zalando had already organized a company-wide party this summer and SAP refers to its 50th company anniversary, which was recently celebrated in style.
The shoe retailer is celebrating again at its Essen headquarters.
(Photo: Deichmann)
Two DAX companies do not hold Christmas parties: Covestro and BMW. The chemical company says: “We don’t have any special campaigns at Christmas.” And the Munich carmaker wants to avoid internal infections in this way. “Celebrations at the end of the year are to be carried out purely privately.”
However, work psychologist Zacher advises companies to organize company Christmas parties again. A rejection could lead to misunderstanding among the employees. The celebration provides a great motivational gain, but the protection against infections through a cancellation is manageable.
In order to keep the risk of infection as low as possible, some Dax companies are being more careful. For example, Deutsche Bank and Persil manufacturer Henkel limit the parties to 100 people and require a self-test that is updated daily. At the Merck healthcare group, too, those who love to celebrate should “observe basic hygiene rules”. At the automotive supplier Continental, the teams decide on protective measures based on local conditions.
Important event for family businesses
The Christmas celebrations are also very important for family businesses, since direct contact with one another is important to many employees and owners. The shoe retailer Deichmann is again organizing a Christmas market in the Essen headquarters. “In difficult times, we have to stick together as a company. And celebrate festivals together,” emphasizes the trading company. That welds together. The battery specialist Hoppecke and the engine manufacturer Henkelhausen are also celebrating again.
The Dortmund installation technician Obo Bettermann, on the other hand, has postponed his Christmas party, including the honoring of those celebrating their anniversaries, for the third year in a row. Because at an annual meeting of the company in Hungary, there were several corona infections among employees and customers. Therefore, the family business only allows smaller celebrations at team or department level.
On the other hand, there are big celebrations at the Berner company, which trades in spare parts and consumables for car repair shops, for example. During the pandemic, there were two radio shows lasting several hours as Christmas parties, this time the 8,000 employees were celebrating in person again. The company wants to spend 110 euros per person at the two German headquarters.
Many companies do not want to be so clear about their Christmas budget. Because the costs of energy or raw materials are rising elsewhere, some companies are likely to save on the Christmas party. According to the Walldorf headquarters, SAP is also canceling its Christmas party to save energy “as a result of the geopolitical tensions”.
Not so with the engine manufacturer MTU: The contribution is “significantly higher this year than in previous years, in order to express thanks and appreciation at this level as well”.
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