70% of employees feel pressured to attend company holiday parties

It’s that time of year again, and many companies are celebrating the holiday season with festivities ranging from gift exchanges to potlucks and ugly sweater contests. 

According to a new study by FinanceBuzz 70% of employees say they feel pressured to attend company holiday parties. Nearly 40% reported feeling obligated to drink alcohol at a holiday party even when they did not want to. 

Despite being uncomfortable, many employees say they feel obligated to take part in activities such as dressing up, giving performances, dancing and participating in games around the holiday season. 

Holiday parties often create a more relaxed atmosphere, leading employees to do and say things they later regret. According to the study, 63% of employees say they have regrets about their conduct at holiday parties in the past. 

Over 30% of employees said they drank too much alcohol or spoke negatively about their workplace at a company gathering. At least one-quarter of employees say they regretted making an inappropriate joke or flirting with a coworker or manager. 

While many employees look to their managers as role models, their behavior at holiday parties is no exception. Over 40% of employees say they’ve seen a manager who drank too much. Around 30% of employees say they’ve witnessed a manager acting inappropriately with their staff. 

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Despite the popularity of festive parties, what employees value most at the end of the year is a holiday bonus, according to the study. Sixty percent of employees said they’d rather cancel the holiday party in order to receive a bigger bonus instead. Additionally, 67% of employees said they’d prefer a bonus, even over getting extra time off. 

But if employees have to take part in festive activities, the most favored include gift exchanges, donation drives and potlucks.