The Office Christmas Party Is Not Cancelled

 

Many companies hold parties to celebrate the winter holidays around this time every year. But COVID-19 has made 2020 an extremely unusual year. Most businesses are avoiding any unnecessary gatherings¹ because of the continuing spread of the new coronavirus.

In fact, a recent study finds that the percentage of companies planning parties has sharply² dropped. The international jobs outplacement firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, carries out the research every October. Last year, 76 percent of human resources representatives questioned for the study said their companies had plans for winter seasonal³ parties. This year, the percentage is just 23. And, the study found that 75 percent of those companies will hold their parties online.

John Ross is president of Test Prep Insight⁴, a small online education business in Sacramento, California. He said the company's 10 employees want to see each other face to face, But, the usual plan of a holiday dinner party made him uneasy⁵, he said.

Ross had to get creative.

He decided⁶ to treat his employees to a day of outdoor activities at a snowy resort about 200 kilometers away. The group will share a midday meal together, as well.

Other employers are looking for ways to make virtual⁷ parties livelier and more memorable⁸. Jonathan Como is the founder⁹ of Offsyte, an events marketplace for corporate¹⁰ team building. It has organized events for employees of several large American companies, like health insurance company Blue Shield, and Lyft, the ridesharing company.

The most popular celebrations involve sending food and drink to employees' homes for virtual parties, Como said. Online game sites for groups are also popular, he added.

These online group games often involve solving imaginary murder mysteries or escaping from houses filled with tricks and traps.

Marketing¹¹ company Rank Fuse¹² chose such an event for its holiday celebration, said employee Chelsea Roller. Employees of the small company based in Kansas gathered together online to solve a murder mystery organized by Red Herring Games.

Normally, Rank Fuse holds a holiday dinner in the winter. But this year nothing is normal.

"Every employee will be given a character to play," Roller said of the holiday game plan. "It will likely be very silly."

Many companies are using virtual celebrations to offer something people have missed throughout the pandemic: live shows.

HireSpace is a British event company. It is organizing 50 virtual office celebrations in December, says co-founder Edward Poland. They will include live music and other artistic¹³ performances.

On Site Opera is a New York City singers' group that performs in unusual spaces and places. It received a request this year to perform for employees of a California law firm. The singers will perform operatic pieces linked to stories of law and justice.

Some larger companies are spreading out holiday fun over several weeks. Events planned include holiday-themed clothing competitions, cooking classes, gift exchanges, and more.

Words in This Story

resort – n. a place where people go for vacations

virtual – adj. existing or occurring on computers or on the Internet

silly – adj. having or showing a lack of thought, understanding, or good judgment

1 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

2 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

3 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

4 insight   

n.洞察力，洞悉，深刻的见解

参考例句：

• Good teachers have insight into the problems of students.好的教师能洞察学生的问题。
• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。

5 uneasy   

adj.心神不安的，担心的，令人不安的

参考例句：

• He feels uneasy today.他今天心里感到不安。
• She had an uneasy feeling that they were still following her.她有一种他们仍在跟踪她的不安感觉。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 virtual   

adj.实质上的，事实上的，实际上的

参考例句：

• This reply is a virtual acceptance of our offer.这一回答实质上是接受了我们的建议。
• At that time the East India Company was the virtual ruler of Bengal.那时东印度公司是孟加拉的实际统治者。

8 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

9 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

10 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

11 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

12 fuse   

n.导火线，引信，保险丝；v.熔，烧断电路

参考例句：

• The metal will fuse at a relatively low temperature.这金属在不太高的温度下熔化。
• This is the right fuse for the refrigerator.这是电冰箱上使用的保险丝。

13 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。