Dec. 4, 2007 7:16 a.m.
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- If most of your employees are 50 years old or older, you can get by without an office party this year. Fully 72% of workers in that age group say it's not important that their employers hold holiday parties compared with 56% of those ages 18 to 29 and 62% of workers overall.

Fewer employers are holding any type of annual holiday party this year, dropping to 55% from 58% last year, according to the latest Spherion Workplace Snapshot survey conducted by Harris Interactive.

That said, when it comes to those who attend, 23% of workers admit to feeling obligated to do so and women are more likely to feel this way than men (25% vs. 21%). In addition, 88% say they have never embarrassed themselves at an employer's annual holiday party, with just 5% who admit having done so. Workers earning less than $15,000 annually are significantly more likely to have embarrassed themselves at a holiday party than any other income group (20%).

"Interestingly, the challenges and obstacles resulting from four generations working side-by-side for the first time in history appears to be spilling over to even the most basic of office events, the holiday party," observed Loretta Penn, vice president and chief service excellence officer at Spherion. "Our survey indicates that annual holiday parties are far less important to older workers than to those employees in the early years of their careers. Perhaps this mindset is a result of varied expectations about holiday parties, or simply a 'been there, done that' mentality from mature workers."

While it is unrealistic to please everyone, employers can make an effort to satisfy desires and expectations from all generations. "Each organization's approach to holiday parties should be based on its unique situation and the overall interest level from its own employees," Penn said. "Companies should consider creating a holiday party committee or task force that is made up of members from all four generations to ensure that all groups are represented and a collective decision can be made."

Other survey findings include:

29% of adult workers feel neutral about their obligation to attend their employer's annual holiday party, and 24%)gave a neutral response when asked about how important it is to them that their employers holding holiday parties

Workers earning more than $75,000 annually are the most likely income group to feel obligated to attend their employer's holiday party, with 27% stating reporting this.

Spherion Corp. is a recruiting and staffing company that has screened and placed millions of individuals in temporary, temp-to-hire and full-time jobs over the past 60 years.

Published 2007 by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio