British bosses are more Santa than Scrooge this Christmas

Despite economic difficulties, a new survey shows that generous British bosses are still planning to give their staff Christmas parties, presents, or bonuses. In the survey* of 2,000 workers, undertaken by Moneypenny, the leading outsourced communications company, 50% of those surveyed said that their company will be providing a staff Christmas party this year. This has increased from last year, when a similar Moneypenny survey showed that only 36% of people said they were receiving a Christmas party.

In addition, 33% said their bosses will be providing a Christmas bonus, while 32% are expecting a company Christmas present, with some generous British bosses providing a combination of Xmas parties and presents or bonuses.

This year’s survey showed that of those surveyed who said they won’t be receiving a staff Christmas party, only 16% think it’s because company budgets have been cut, while 6% said it’s because their company got out of the habit during the Covid pandemic, and 5% said it’s because their company is giving staff pay rises or financial help on other occasions instead, to help with the cost of living crisis.

London leads with staff Christmas perks

The survey showed a clear regional divide in terms of company Christmas giving, with London employers being the most generous, with 73% of their staff expecting an office Christmas party, compared with less than half of those surveyed in all other regions, apart from Northern Ireland where 64% are expecting one.

London employers also appear to be going bigger on bonuses, with 56% of London staff expecting a Christmas bonus, compared with just 23% of those in both the South East and South West, and only 18% of those in Yorkshire and Humberside.

In addition, only 13% of London workers said they aren’t expecting to receive a Christmas party, bonus or gift, compared with 55% of those in Yorkshire and Humberside and 48% of those in Scotland who are. not expecting to receive anything from their bosses.

Joanna Swash, Group CEO for Moneypenny, comments:

“In times of economic uncertainty, it’s heart-warming to see that companies are providing a Christmas thank you for their people, and while office parties remain popular, there are certainly more creative ways in which you can thank your people.  For example, at Moneypenny we’re curating a festive calendar with nearly 10 ways to celebrate, for example giving staff advent calendars, holding a desk decorating competition, and hosting a traditional Christmas dinner. We’re also holding a special Christmas market on the 22 December where our people will be able to get all the ingredients for their Christmas meal for themselves and their family, for free: turkey or ham or nut roasts plus all the trimmings to take home. I would also encourage companies to engage in acts of kindness and generosity to regain a sense of community. We’re spreading Christmas joy to our local community, working with a number of local charities to donate more than 450 meals to vulnerable people this Christmas.”