Not all employers are embracing the festive season this year, with 53 percent of firms not giving their staff Christmas bonuses, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Instead of a bonus, 60 percent of employers will be hosting a Christmas party to reward hard work and celebrate the successes of the year.
IT workers are in line for the biggest bonuses, with 29 percent of employers in the sector saying they are giving bigger bonuses than they were last year, followed by:
Accountants (28 percent)
Sales (27 percent)
Marketing (26 percent)
Operations (25 percent)
HR (20 percent)
For those who are being rewarded with a bonus, there’s good news: a fifth (20 percent) of employers are giving a bigger Christmas bonus than they did last year, and a further 22 percent are giving one the same size. Those who work in sales are the least likely to get a Christmas party, with nearly half (49 percent) of sales employers saying they won’t be having a party, compared with just 40 percent in HR. But it’s not just employers who are apathetic about Christmas parties as CareerBuilder UK research shows that 28 percent of employees won’t be attending the party.
For those who are having a Christmas party, 16 percent of employers are holding a bigger Christmas bash than they did last year, and over a third (36 percent) are holding one the same size. Accountants are the most likely to have a bigger party, with over a fifth (22 percent) of employers planning to increase their spend this year. “Christmas is a time for festive cheer within the workplace and it’s important to celebrate the successes of the year just gone. Even though many employers won’t be holding a Christmas party this year, it’s positive that the employers who are, will be hosting a bigger party than last year. It’s important to for both employers and employees to attend workplace socials to build strong working relationships which will result in a more successful future for the business” said Janet Prosper, HR Director of CareerBuilder EMEA.
The survey was conducted among 400 hiring managers in the UK, interviews were conducted online by Redshift Research in September & October 2015.
