The End of the Office Party

December is known for its parties, celebrations, and get-togethers.

Some of which take place in the office.

Ever wonder who cooked up the office party? Charles Dickens may have instigated the tradition, which has evolved over the last 180 years.

Today, the question is whether the office holiday party is fading back into 19th-century lore.??

More on that in a second.

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Mr. Fezziwig's transformative largess

Dickens published The Christmas Carol in 1843. The story includes a description of a holiday party for the ages. It had food, beer, dancing, and even hinted at shenanigans.

It is a heartwarming moment in the tale that powerfully impacts Scrooge (the main character), causing him to reflect on his life and how he treats his employee.?

The book was so successful that nobody wanted to be known as a Scrooge (everybody wanted to be a Fezziwig), and the modern holiday office party was born.??

Mad Men excesses

Dickens imagined a convivial family affair that brought people together.?

A hundred years later, the party may have taken on a different tone. It morphed from a family celebration to an obligatory work event of (often) alcohol-fueled frustration venting that could both make and break careers.

The series Mad Men famously depicted mid- to late-20th century office party excesses of water cooler gin and an atmosphere of debauchery, which many say was not far off.?

And then, 21st-century tech startup wealth gave way to new parties that upped the ante, with many, including Facebook, Uber, and Yahoo, making headlines (and sometimes court appearances) for their excesses.

And the 2023 version

In 2020, the office party became a toast on Zoom. 2023 parties have escaped the video conferencing confines but have not roared back to Mad Men legend.

More employees are interested in sobriety and being home to tuck the kids in at night, so party planners have adapted.

Many companies (think Hootsuite and Google) scaled down celebrations, had them much earlier in the day, and even turned nighttime antics into daytime luncheons. Some included community service work.?

Does this mean the office party is dying?

Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but I'd bet the office gatherings will continue. I suspect most of us want to be Fezziwigs rather than Scrooges, and it's nice to mark the end of the year, recognize hard work, and build relationships.

But there may be fewer gin-filled water coolers and more pizza parties, which may be closer to Dickens's vision anyway.

Personally, I'm looking forward to our firm's get-together that's more than pizza but also not Mad Men: food, laughter, and a speaker to inspire and energize the team for a new year.

However, whatever, and with whomever you celebrate this time of year, I hope you enjoy time with family and friends (and coworkers).

From all of us at Rosenberg Chesnov, I hope you had an excellent 2023 and are looking forward to a fantastic 2024. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.

From Around The Web

Want to learn more about the history of the office party? Well, I've got you covered; this is a nice story from a few years ago that traces the history of the office party from Dickens through the evolution to today.?

The evolution of the party... the article above was written years before the pandemic, which changed things. This recent article talks about how they've changed and how well-known corporations are adjusting.