1. SHRM Survey Findings: 2012 Holiday/Year-End Activities
December 10, 2012

2. Introduction
In Fall 2012, the Society for Human Resource Management conducted a survey on organizations’ holiday/year-end activities. These survey findings are divided into the following topic areas:
End-of-Year/Holiday Parties
Alcohol at Work-Related Events
End-of-Year Giving

3. Key Findings
Do organizations plan to have a 2012 end-of-year/holiday party? About three-quarters (72%) of organizations will hold a 2012 end-of-year or holiday party for their employees. The percentage of organizations holding parties in 2012 and 2011 has increased compared with 2010 and 2009.
Will organizations’ end-of-year/holiday parties be held on-site or off-site? Sixty-eight percent of organizations indicated that their end-of-year/holiday party will be held off-site. Nearly one-quarter (23%) of these parties will be held on-site.
Will alcohol be served at the end-of-year/holiday party? More than one-half (61%) of organizations indicated that alcohol will be served at the end-of-year/holiday party. One- half (51%) of organizations regulate alcohol consumption at these parties.
Do some organizations prohibit drinking alcohol at work-related events? Slightly more than one-third (35%)of organizations indicated that they did not have a formal or an informal policy that covered consumption of alcohol at work-related events. Approximately the same percentage (33%) have either a formal or an informal policy that allows alcohol consumption at work-related events.
How common is it for organizations to participate in end-of-year charitable donations/drives? Nearly three-quarters (74%) of organizations reported participating in charitable donations/drives during the end-of-year/holiday season.

4. End-of-Year/Holiday Parties
2012 Holiday/Year-End Activities ©SHRM 2012

5.   In 2012, will your organization be sponsoring an end-of-year/holiday party for employees?
Note: Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.

6. Will the end-of-year/holiday party be held on-site or off-site?
Note: Only respondents whose organizations were sponsoring an end-of-year/holiday party were asked this question.

7.   What type(s) of end-of-year/holiday parties will your organization sponsor?
Note: n = 260. Only respondents whose organizations were sponsoring an end-of-year/holiday party were asked this question.

8. When is the end-of-year/holiday party expected to be held?
Note: n = 247. Only respondents whose organizations were sponsoring an end-of-year/holiday party were asked this question. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

9.   How many employees do you expect to attend the end-of-year/ holiday party?
Note: n = 255. Only respondents whose organizations were sponsoring an end-of-year/holiday party were asked this question. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.

10.   Are employees allowed to bring guests to the end-of-year/holiday party?
Note: n = 251. Only respondents whose organizations were sponsoring an end-of-year/holiday party were asked this question. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

11.   Are employees expected to pay for any additional guests attending the end-of-year/holiday party?
Note: n = 143. Only respondents whose organizations allowed employees to bring guests to the end-of-year/holiday party were asked this question. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

12.   Are employees expected to contribute in some way to the end-of-year/holiday party?
Note: n = 256. Only respondents whose organizations were sponsoring an end-of-year/holiday party were asked this question. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

13. Are prizes given to employees at the end-of-year/holiday party?
Note: n = 258. Only respondents whose organizations were sponsoring an end-of-year/holiday party were asked this question. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.

14. Alcohol at Work-Related Events
2012 Holiday/Year-End Activities ©SHRM 2012

15. Will alcohol be served at the end-of-year/holiday party?
Note: n = 241. Only respondents whose organizations were sponsoring an end-of-year/holiday party were asked this question. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

16.   Does your organization regulate alcohol consumption at the end-of-year/holiday party?
Note: n = 141. Only respondents whose organizations were sponsoring an end-of-year/holiday party and will serve alcohol were asked this question. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

17.   How does your organization regulate alcohol consumption at the end-of-year/holiday party?
Note: n = 96. Only respondents whose organizations will serve alcohol and regulate alcohol consumption at their end-of-year/holiday party were asked this question. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options (question asked respondents to “check all that apply”).

18.   Does your organization have a formal (written) or an informal policy on drinking alcohol at work-related events (e.g., lunch with co-worker, company events like holiday parties, job interview over lunch or dinner, happy hour, dinner with client)?
Note: In 2012, only respondents whose organizations were sponsoring an end-of-year/holiday party were asked this question. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding.

19. In the past 24 months, has drinking alcohol at work-related events in your organization…
Note: In 2012, only respondents whose organizations were sponsoring an end-of-year/holiday party were asked this question. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

20. In the past 24 months, has any employee in your organization been disciplined because of drinking alcohol at a work-related event?
Note: In 2012, only respondents whose organizations were sponsoring an end-of-year/holiday party were asked this question. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

21. End-of-Year Giving
2012 Holiday/Year-End Activities ©SHRM 2012

22.   Does your organization participate in charitable donations/drives (e.g., angel tree, toys for tots, winter coat drive) during the end of the year/holiday season?
Note: n = 379. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

23. Comparisons by organization staff size
Does your organization participate in charitable donations/drives (e.g., angel tree, toys for tots, winter coat drive) during the end of the year/holiday season?
Comparisons by organization staff size
Organizations with 500 to 24,999 employees are more likely than organizations with 1 to 99 employees to indicate they participate in charitable donations/drives during the end of the year/holiday season.
Comparisons by organization staff size
500 to 2,499 employees (81%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (81%)
>
1 to 99 employees (57%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
2012 Holiday/Year End Activities ©SHRM 2012

24.   Does your organization give nonperformance-based bonuses at the end of the year to employees?
Note: n = 376. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

25.   Does your organization participate in holiday activities such as employee gift exchanges, White Elephant, etc.?
Note: n = 375. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

26. Comparisons by organization staff size
Does your organization participate in holiday activities such as gift exchanges, White Elephant, etc.?
Comparisons by organization staff size
Organizations with 100 to 24,999 employees are more likely than organizations with 1 to 99 employees to indicate they participate in holiday activities such as employee gift exchanges, White Elephant, etc.
Comparisons by organization staff size
100 to 499 employees (39%)
>
1 to 99 employees (21%)
500 to 2,499 employees (53%)
2,500 to 24,999 employees (53%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
2012 Holiday/Year End Activities ©SHRM 2012

27. Organization Demographics
2012 Holiday/Year-End Activities ©SHRM 2012

28. Demographics: Organization Industry
Percentage
Manufacturing
21%
Professional, scientific and technical services
20%
Health care and social assistance
16%
Educational services
10%
Finance and insurance 8%
Public administration 7%
Accommodation and food services 6%
Religious, grant-making, civic, professional and similar organizations
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 5%
Real estate and rental and leasing 4%
Repair and maintenance
Retail trade
Note: n = 367. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.

29. Demographics: Organization Industry (continued)
Percentage
Transportation and warehousing 4%
Wholesale trade
Arts, entertainment and recreation 3%
Construction
Information
Utilities
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 1%
Mining
Personal and laundry services
Other 2%
Note: n = 367. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.

30. Demographics: Organization Sector

31. Demographics: Organization Staff Size
Note: n = 370. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding.

32. Demographics: Other
Is your organization a single-unit organization or a multi-unit organization?
Single-unit organization: An organization in which the location and the organization are one and the same
30%
Multi-unit organization: An organization that has more than one location
70%
n = 384
Does your organization have U.S.-based operations (business units) only or does it operate multinationally?
U.S.-based operations only
73%
Multinational operations
27%
n = 382
What is the HR department/function for which responded throughout this survey?
Corporate (companywide)
65%
Business unit/division
18%
Facility/location
17%
n = 277
For multi-unit organizations, are HR policies and practices determined by the multi-unit headquarters, by each work location or both?
Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices
52%
Each work location determines HR policies and practices 4%
A combination of both the work location and the multi-unit headquarters determine HR policies and practices
44%
n = 276

33. SHRM Survey Findings: 2012 Holiday/Year-End Activities
Survey Methodology
Response rate = 15%
384 HR professional respondents from a randomly selected sample of SHRM’s membership participated in this survey
Margin of error +/- 5%
Survey fielded October 18 – November 8, 2012
2012 Holiday/Year-End Activities ©SHRM 2012

34. About SHRM Research
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Project leaders:
Justina Victor, survey research analyst, SHRM Research
Christina Lee, intern, SHRM Research
Project contributors:
Alexander Alonso, Ph.D., SPHR, vice president, SHRM Research
Evren Esen, manager, Survey Research Center, SHRM Research
Mark Schmit, Ph.D., SPHR, Executive Director, SHRM Foundation
Copy editor:
Katya Scanlan, SHRM Knowledge Center
2012 Holiday/Year End Activities ©SHRM 2012