Bernard O'Shea: My alternatives to the Christmas office party conundrum

"Covid, like it or lump it, has put paid to the idea that we need to be in an office to be productive, and we’ve shown that we humans can bond online digitally. So why persist with the office party?"

Bernard O'Shea. Photograph Moya Nolan

I haven’t been to a work Christmas party for the last seven years. I would love a night out for a few festive drinks, so I’m surprised that some employees dread their annual outings.

According to The Institute of Leadership and Management UK, “a poll of 1,000 workers ... found that just over a quarter (27%) of respondents are none too keen on the idea of work Christmas parties because they don’t believe employees should be ‘forced’ into fun at the whims of their bosses.