What is your work doing instead of traditional Xmas party?

[SoTiredNeedHoliday]

I'm just wondering if anyone has decided what they are doing for their work Christmas party now that a traditional party can't happen.
I've been trying to come up with ideas.... but am failing

Wearing PPE and ploughing on through - NHS. Will hope for a summer BBQ instead.

I haven’t been told about ours yet although we’ve all been asked for our addresses to have presents delivered which we’ve never had before.
A couple of ideas I’ve done for clients recently -

Virtual wine tasting. Vagabond Wines deliver a great set
Pizza Pilgrims frying pan pizza which we all made together on Zoom and then ate together
Virtual horse racing. We all had chocolate coins delivered and then someone “hosted” by getting us to bet our coins and then using races on YouTube
A virtual magician which was amazing and very interactive. We used a guy who had been on Britain’s Got Talent

Oh and another one was to have the doughnut decorating set from Doughtnut Time delivered to everyone and then decorate them together and have a competition for the best decorated

We've all been given a company branded Christmas hoodie.

I have offered my staff a £50 gift voucher from a store of their choice
For November I have ordered them all handmade chocolates

Some form of hideous forced fun on zoom.

I work in a nursery. We are still doing secret Santa and on the last day of term we will stay behind after the last kid has gone and have a drink and some treats.

Postponed until the summer!

Wow Turnedouttoes you're so imaginative!!! Great ideas. Did you get good attendance?

I like the vagabond virtual wine tasting and the horse racing too, plus the doughnut decorating! Amazing ideas!
How did you find all that stuff?

helloxhristmas that's what I am trying to avoid, I don't want anyone to feel like that.

CovidClara that's a nice idea too (and a cool name you've taken up)

missyB1 you're lucky you can have a tiny tiny piece of normality! Enjoy it.

As my staff have worked hard all year and helped to keep my business going, a bonus of 10% of annual salary.

We’re are getting a hamper this year instead of the party. Think it’s a nice idea!

Newnamedillydaily me too, I like that idea.

UkSky that's a very generous amount, I'm glad the business is going well enough to afford that.

I definitely can’t claim to have thought up all of them. I work in a London advertising agency and we have big client entertainment budgets and have quarterly socials with most clients hence so many events!
I will say though that most of our contacts/attendees are 20-30s and lots live in London house shares so do tend to be more up for this sort of “fun”. They may not work as well for an older demographic with families etc. We do try to limit them to an hour or two though and generally at the end of the day or in work time to maximise attendees. If I was in charge of a Christmas party this year I’d probably run something short around lunchtime and then let everyone have the afternoon off.

Turnedouttoes yes we often do a lunch party and if it goes on it does and if it doesn't it doesn't. No doubt being distanced it won't but getting people to physically do things is half the battle of getting people in the mood to celebrate. Like the doughnut idea, who wouldn't like doing that

I sincerely hope nothing at all!

Absolutely nothing. Not one thing. ☹️

Nothing has been mentioned yet, but I'm quite hoping that it will just be left at that. I'm not interested in an equivalent virtual event (god forbid!), or a present to the same value. It's the festive event that makes it appealing in normal years, not the company splashing out.

katy1213 & thecognoscenti thats a bit sad ..... I expect you don't like your colleagues much or your job probably with those feelings.

Best of luck you both have a great Christmas with your family, covid style

I don’t mind a zoom event but wouldn’t be entertaining getting together for drinks or food as it sounds like a receipt for disaster if anyone unknowingly has the virus. Not exactly the Christmas present anyone wants.

We’ve been offered a choice between:
a) a hamper of our choice (sweet or savoury)
b) voucher, with a choice of where to spend it
c) a charitable donation made to a charity of our choice
Although I’m very grateful, it does make me think our HR team have too much time on their hands if they’re able to coordinate this many options 😂

Fuck all

I don't think our company are doing anything. Normally there's a budget of £30 per person for a Christmas meal and I thought they might send us a voucher/anything to the same value but nothing has been mentioned, which I think is a bit stingy really! (Our company not affected by covid, if anything we've done better than ever before.)

Team wise there's been talk of a quiz on MS Teams, Christmas jumpers etc. Someone is pushing for chocolate tasting. I don't have a sweet tooth so not interested in that. (Or doughnut decorating, sorry OP!)

Nothing, we will all be glad to enjoy annual leave if we are lucky enough to have it.

@AnnoyedByAlfieBear

We've all been given a company branded Christmas hoodie.

OMG you poor things!

A donation to charity of what they would usually spend on a Christmas party