Staff Celebrations Come at a Cost to Workers...

But Most Employees Don't Mind Chipping in for Office Parties, Sometimes

TORONTO, May 14, 2015 /CNW/ - Those office parties don't pay for themselves, new OfficeTeam research suggests. More than half (55 per cent) of senior managers interviewed said employees are asked to contribute money for celebrations -- such as birthdays, anniversaries and baby showers -- at least once a year. Luckily, most workers are feeling generous: 58 per cent of employees stated they are OK with chipping in occasionally, and 9 per cent have no hesitation because they consider it a good cause. However one-third (33 per cent) consider getting asked an annoyance.

The surveys of managers and workers were developed by OfficeTeam, a staffing service specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. They were conducted by an independent research firm and include responses from more than 300 senior managers at Canadian companies with 20 or more employees, and more than 300 Canadian workers 18 years or older and employed in office environments.

Managers were asked, "On average, how often are employees at your firm asked to contribute money to pay for staff celebrations or events?" Their responses:

Once a week	2%
Once a month	11%
Once a quarter	16%
Once or twice a year	26%
Never	40%
Don't know	5%
	100%

Workers were asked, "How do you feel about being asked to contribute money to pay for staff celebrations or events?" Their responses:

It's annoying	33%
It's OK every so often	58%
It's totally fine because it's for a good cause	9%
	100%

"Most employees don't mind chipping in to celebrate coworkers' milestones, but the requests should be made in moderation," said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. "While no one wants to look like a party pooper for not participating, being asked to contribute too often can become a burden and takes the fun out of events."

OfficeTeam highlights some do's and don'ts when asking coworkers to pitch in for office parties:

Don't	Do
Ask everyone to chip in.	Reach out to those who are closest to the person being recognized. A new employee or someone who doesn't work directly with the individual may feel awkward participating.
Make it mandatory.	Be clear that contributions are voluntary. Some staff may choose to lend a hand in other ways, such as helping to plan or decorate.
Set a required dollar amount.	Invite employees to donate whatever they are comfortable with.
Put others on the spot.	Send an email and circulate an envelope for anonymous contributions instead of reaching out to each colleague individually.
Overdo it with the requests.	Combine multiple occasions into monthly or quarterly office parties. This limits how often workers are asked to donate money, and your company may even help cover the costs.

About OfficeTeam
OfficeTeam, a Robert Half company, is the nation's leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled office and administrative support professionals. The company has more than 300 locations worldwide. More information, including online job search services and the OfficeTeam Take Note blog, can be found at officeteam.com. Follow @RobertHalf_CAN on Twitter for additional workplace advice and hiring trends.

SOURCE OfficeTeam

Image with caption: "Staff Celebrations: Employees Often Chip in for Festivities (CNW Group/OfficeTeam)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150514_C3256_PHOTO_EN_16636.jpg

Naz Araghian, 416.865.2140, [email protected]