Love2shop talks to Times Radio: Workers won’t miss their “Mad Friday” office parties

Frank Creighton, our Director of Business Development, spoke to Times Radio about our poll showing that the UK’s workers won’t miss their Mad Friday office parties.

Between the hangovers, the stress, and the Monday-morning shame, they’re happier without it. Our research showed that:

• Half of employees are happy there’ll be no traditional staff Christmas party this year
• 1 in 5 say they won’t miss the dreaded office Christmas party hangover
• 9 out of 10 would prefer cash instead of a staff party
• 1 in 4 would save the money and 1 in 10 would treat their partner to a night out
• Almost 1 in 10 say avoiding the ‘walk of shame’ next day and apologising for embarrassing behaviour is a perk of office Christmas parties being called off

Given the choice between an office Christmas party or £50, 9 in 10 said they’d be happy with the cash. Fortunately, HMRC’s Trivial Benefit Allowance enables businesses to gift £50 to employees tax-free, allowing companies to save £33.68 per basic tax-paying employee (£48.10 for higher rate tax payers).

The research, conducted with 1,002 British employees by YouGov, revealed that 46% don’t want a company Christmas party at all this year, compared to 24% who do want one.

Even post-Covid, British employees are not keen on a postponed ‘Christmas do’ – 51% said they wouldn’t attend, compared to 36% who would consider it next year.

When asked how employees would spend the £50, almost one in four (23%) said they would save it and 17% would put it in their Christmas fund.

A romantic 11% said they would spend it on a night out with their partner, whereas only 5% said they would spend it on a gift for their kids.

Interestingly, 7% said they would spend it on themselves and not tell anyone.

Avoiding the dreaded office Christmas party hangover (21%) was the biggest perk of traditional in-person celebrations being cancelled this year, followed by avoiding ‘bad behaviour’, including dad dancing, chatting up a colleague and telling regrettable home truths (8%).