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Old 12-07-2005, 01:17 PM   #31 (permalink)
fresnelly
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I thought I'd bump this thread because tis the season. I also happened to read an interesting article in today's Globe and Mail that touched on a lot of the bitter sentiments voiced here.

Our company is taking us out for a nice dinner and we're a pretty laid back bunch, so I'm actually looking forward to it.

Here's the first part of the article. (I left off the last two thirds due to length)

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...tory/Business/

Quote:
<b>The Holiday Party</b>
By WALLACE IMMEN

Wednesday, December 7, 2005 Posted at 9:07 AM EST

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

It's been a good year for BioWare Corp., so the Edmonton-based video game developer is pulling out all the stops for its holiday party.

Next week, 480 employees and guests will attend a dinner and dance at an upscale hotel, with a paid taxi ride home. When it's over, they'll get the next two weeks off with pay -- in addition to their regular vacation entitlements.

The party aims to show staff appreciation, and it is only one of many celebrations -- from employee barbecues to ski trips, movie nights to champagne toasts on the launch of new games -- to acknowledge employee efforts throughout the year, says human resources manager Mark Kluchky.

The result: "Morale is high" at the company, he says.

Contrast that to the morale-busting ritual that other Canadian employees may face this time of year: a buffet of third-rate deli sandwiches washed down with a plastic cup of cheap red wine, and having to force a smile while the boss, who has ignored them all year, wishes them the best of the season.

If employers think that just throwing a year-end party is all they need to do to keep employee morale high, they are probably better off not bothering to do it at all, career experts say.

Big or small, a holiday party can magnify the good and the bad of how employees are treated all year, says Barbara Moses, president of Toronto-based BBM Human Resource Consultants Inc.

"I've heard people compete with each other with stories about whose employer is cheaper and nastier at the holidays," Dr. Moses says.

"I hear people say things like 'they've got to be kidding. They treat us like garbage every day and then they try to put on the ritz for the holiday season and they think we're impressed.' That just makes bad morale worse."

For smart employers, the holiday party should not be a bribe but, rather, part of an ongoing process of communicating to employees that they are cared about and valued, she advises.

Boosting morale continues to be the prime reason companies hold an annual holiday party.

Fifty-seven per cent of human resources managers at 99 Canadian companies surveyed by Hewitt Associates said the reason their companies have holiday parties is to acknowledge the efforts of their employees.

Another 26 per cent said it's considered important for staff morale.

The remainder said the party is a holiday tradition.

But, in fact, "a holiday party ranks very low" as a way to boost individual morale and retain staff, according to Jason Billard, a senior consultant for Hewitt in Toronto.

"People feel good about their employer when they are recognized for their efforts in a personal and genuine way. And that doesn't happen in a once-a-year blowout party where everyone in the staff is invited," he says.

Indeed, a simple thank you whenever a job is well done can be a much more powerful motivator than an elaborate celebration, Mr. Billard says.

"A smart manager will show recognition and appreciation day-to-day for effort," Mr. Billard says. Some companies have taken that advice and are toning down their holiday parties in favour of more celebrations throughout the rest of the year. Continued...
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