Last December, Keith Willard and his party planning staff were assembling fresh flowers, bitters, dehydrated grapefruit, and ham so companies could celebrate the holidays with Zoom ZM, -1.60% events on how to make a bouquet, a tasty cocktail or a charcuterie board.
On the flip side, Sheils also has to arrange the distribution of swanky gifts, including one tech company that’s giving out $150 bottles of Pinot Noir to 100 employees at its holiday party. She views these gestures as a genuine “thank you” from companies to employees, but also as an enticement for workers to stay as millions have quit their jobs.
“You want to keep the troops happy. It’s a reward for people working hard all year. What that is for people is very different now,” he said. Omicron is making some party hosts hesitant The traditional holiday party season comes at a time when more people are getting back into the office. Labor Department numbers show a shrinking number of people who are working from home. In November, 11.3% said they were teleworking because of the pandemic. That’s half the amount in January, when 23.2% of workers said they were working from home due to COVID-19.
“People have been chomping at the bit for an opportunity to let loose and reconnect with each other,” he said. Employers need to know their workforce to determine the risk, he said.