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Do office celebrations make a company stronger and bring people closer, or does it just waste work hours? [closed]
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In our company, we celebrate birthdays and some Indian feasts. It helps to take a time-out, to reboot the brains and to improve relationships. My concern, however is that these celebrations are during work hours. Is this a good use of time?
human-resources relationships time-management
edited Mar 30 '16 at 6:16
Jan Doggen
11.5k145066
asked Mar 25 '16 at 11:36
wolser
141
closed as primarily opinion-based by Jan Doggen, Lilienthal♦, gnat, jimm101, nvoigt Mar 25 '16 at 19:10
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
-1
down vote
favorite
In our company, we celebrate birthdays and some Indian feasts. It helps to take a time-out, to reboot the brains and to improve relationships. My concern, however is that these celebrations are during work hours. Is this a good use of time?
human-resources relationships time-management
edited Mar 30 '16 at 6:16
Jan Doggen
11.5k145066
asked Mar 25 '16 at 11:36
wolser
141
closed as primarily opinion-based by Jan Doggen, Lilienthal♦, gnat, jimm101, nvoigt Mar 25 '16 at 19:10
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
4
The higher-ups in your company have decided that it is, indeed, a good use of time. You yourself seem to be aware of the benefits. Is there a reason why you'd suppose that's not actually the case?
– rath
Mar 25 '16 at 12:23
2
I think "what are the pros and cons" would be a more on-topic question as "is it a good use of time / a good idea?" is dependent on so many factors and largely opinion-based.
– Lilienthal♦
Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
1
They do for some people, for others they don't, it's part of an overall strategy for teambuilding and intracompany networking, rather than a solution on it's own. There is a good reason behind having them during working hours, it allows everyone to participate who may have other obligations outside working hours.
– Kilisi
Mar 25 '16 at 18:31
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
-1
down vote
favorite
up vote
-1
down vote
favorite
In our company, we celebrate birthdays and some Indian feasts. It helps to take a time-out, to reboot the brains and to improve relationships. My concern, however is that these celebrations are during work hours. Is this a good use of time?
human-resources relationships time-management
edited Mar 30 '16 at 6:16
Jan Doggen
11.5k145066
asked Mar 25 '16 at 11:36
wolser
141
In our company, we celebrate birthdays and some Indian feasts. It helps to take a time-out, to reboot the brains and to improve relationships. My concern, however is that these celebrations are during work hours. Is this a good use of time?
human-resources relationships time-management
edited Mar 30 '16 at 6:16
Jan Doggen
11.5k145066
asked Mar 25 '16 at 11:36
wolser
141
edited Mar 30 '16 at 6:16
Jan Doggen
11.5k145066
edited Mar 30 '16 at 6:16
Jan Doggen
11.5k145066
edited Mar 30 '16 at 6:16
Jan Doggen
11.5k145066
11.5k145066
asked Mar 25 '16 at 11:36
wolser
141
asked Mar 25 '16 at 11:36
wolser
141
asked Mar 25 '16 at 11:36
wolser
141
141
closed as primarily opinion-based by Jan Doggen, Lilienthal♦, gnat, jimm101, nvoigt Mar 25 '16 at 19:10
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
closed as primarily opinion-based by Jan Doggen, Lilienthal♦, gnat, jimm101, nvoigt Mar 25 '16 at 19:10
Many good questions generate some degree of opinion based on expert experience, but answers to this question will tend to be almost entirely based on opinions, rather than facts, references, or specific expertise. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
4
The higher-ups in your company have decided that it is, indeed, a good use of time. You yourself seem to be aware of the benefits. Is there a reason why you'd suppose that's not actually the case?
– rath
Mar 25 '16 at 12:23
2
I think "what are the pros and cons" would be a more on-topic question as "is it a good use of time / a good idea?" is dependent on so many factors and largely opinion-based.
– Lilienthal♦
Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
1
They do for some people, for others they don't, it's part of an overall strategy for teambuilding and intracompany networking, rather than a solution on it's own. There is a good reason behind having them during working hours, it allows everyone to participate who may have other obligations outside working hours.
– Kilisi
Mar 25 '16 at 18:31
suggest improvements |Â
4
The higher-ups in your company have decided that it is, indeed, a good use of time. You yourself seem to be aware of the benefits. Is there a reason why you'd suppose that's not actually the case?
– rath
Mar 25 '16 at 12:23
2
I think "what are the pros and cons" would be a more on-topic question as "is it a good use of time / a good idea?" is dependent on so many factors and largely opinion-based.
– Lilienthal♦
Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
1
They do for some people, for others they don't, it's part of an overall strategy for teambuilding and intracompany networking, rather than a solution on it's own. There is a good reason behind having them during working hours, it allows everyone to participate who may have other obligations outside working hours.
– Kilisi
Mar 25 '16 at 18:31
4
4
The higher-ups in your company have decided that it is, indeed, a good use of time. You yourself seem to be aware of the benefits. Is there a reason why you'd suppose that's not actually the case?
– rath
Mar 25 '16 at 12:23
The higher-ups in your company have decided that it is, indeed, a good use of time. You yourself seem to be aware of the benefits. Is there a reason why you'd suppose that's not actually the case?
– rath
Mar 25 '16 at 12:23
2
2
I think "what are the pros and cons" would be a more on-topic question as "is it a good use of time / a good idea?" is dependent on so many factors and largely opinion-based.
– Lilienthal♦
Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
I think "what are the pros and cons" would be a more on-topic question as "is it a good use of time / a good idea?" is dependent on so many factors and largely opinion-based.
– Lilienthal♦
Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
1
1
They do for some people, for others they don't, it's part of an overall strategy for teambuilding and intracompany networking, rather than a solution on it's own. There is a good reason behind having them during working hours, it allows everyone to participate who may have other obligations outside working hours.
– Kilisi
Mar 25 '16 at 18:31
They do for some people, for others they don't, it's part of an overall strategy for teambuilding and intracompany networking, rather than a solution on it's own. There is a good reason behind having them during working hours, it allows everyone to participate who may have other obligations outside working hours.
– Kilisi
Mar 25 '16 at 18:31
suggest improvements |Â
3 Answers
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up vote
4
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Do office celebrations make a company stronger and bring people closer, or does it just waste work hours?
Yes.
In some offices, with some cultures, these celebrations allow people to mingle and bond, building stronger relationships with each other and with the company that facilitated the event.
In some offices, with some cultures, these celebrations are a forced contrivance. You're forced to go eat bad cake and celebrate some arbitrary achievement rather than getting real work done.
And in probably most offices, you have both at the same time, because people are different. Some people like the celebrations, and some think they are worthless.
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
Telastyn
33.9k977120
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
3
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More effective and less expensive than most "team-building exercises". Relax and enjoy the break.
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:26
keshlam
41.5k1267144
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
1
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It is good for the employees and the company, up to a certain point.
Parties and celebrations should be the 'exception' not the rule.
If there is such a celebration every single week, or on a very frequent basis, the magic of it could fade away, because there is often a protocol involved:
It's Amanda's birthday today, we expect everyone to be in the meeting room at 13h00, we serve the cake at 13h15, and we sign the Happy Birthay song at 13h18. You have to wait until everyone gets his cake part and eat it before you could leave the meeting room and go do something else.
Rinse and repeat one week later because it's Jean-Baptiste's birthday.
Rinse and repeat one week later because it's Sandra's birthday.
The routine gets in, and everyone does it because it must be done, put no heart in it and think about what work could be done instead, just like the point you raise.
If you feel that there are too many of these events, you could check with your colleagues and see how they feel about it. If there is a general consensus that there could be less of it, you could suggest to upper management to reduce the number of occurrences.
I'm not sure about the implication of reducing the amount of cultural related celebrations, but you could certainly suggest to celebrate the birthdays of the employees to once a month: Everyone that has its birthing during that month get celebrated, and you do this on the first Monday of the month, for instance.
Some places have a beer during the afternoon on Fridays, just to relax and encourage employees to interact with each other, not necessarily in relation with work. If there is this kind of practice at your place, you could move some celebrations done at that moment. ("We'll have a cake for Amanda's birthday this Friday, come celebrate if you want!")
answered Mar 25 '16 at 13:22
Alexandre Vaillancourt
1,580618
suggest improvements |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
Do office celebrations make a company stronger and bring people closer, or does it just waste work hours?
Yes.
In some offices, with some cultures, these celebrations allow people to mingle and bond, building stronger relationships with each other and with the company that facilitated the event.
In some offices, with some cultures, these celebrations are a forced contrivance. You're forced to go eat bad cake and celebrate some arbitrary achievement rather than getting real work done.
And in probably most offices, you have both at the same time, because people are different. Some people like the celebrations, and some think they are worthless.
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
Telastyn
33.9k977120
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
4
down vote
Do office celebrations make a company stronger and bring people closer, or does it just waste work hours?
Yes.
In some offices, with some cultures, these celebrations allow people to mingle and bond, building stronger relationships with each other and with the company that facilitated the event.
In some offices, with some cultures, these celebrations are a forced contrivance. You're forced to go eat bad cake and celebrate some arbitrary achievement rather than getting real work done.
And in probably most offices, you have both at the same time, because people are different. Some people like the celebrations, and some think they are worthless.
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
Telastyn
33.9k977120
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
4
down vote
up vote
4
down vote
Do office celebrations make a company stronger and bring people closer, or does it just waste work hours?
Yes.
In some offices, with some cultures, these celebrations allow people to mingle and bond, building stronger relationships with each other and with the company that facilitated the event.
In some offices, with some cultures, these celebrations are a forced contrivance. You're forced to go eat bad cake and celebrate some arbitrary achievement rather than getting real work done.
And in probably most offices, you have both at the same time, because people are different. Some people like the celebrations, and some think they are worthless.
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
Telastyn
33.9k977120
Do office celebrations make a company stronger and bring people closer, or does it just waste work hours?
Yes.
In some offices, with some cultures, these celebrations allow people to mingle and bond, building stronger relationships with each other and with the company that facilitated the event.
In some offices, with some cultures, these celebrations are a forced contrivance. You're forced to go eat bad cake and celebrate some arbitrary achievement rather than getting real work done.
And in probably most offices, you have both at the same time, because people are different. Some people like the celebrations, and some think they are worthless.
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
Telastyn
33.9k977120
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
Telastyn
33.9k977120
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
Telastyn
33.9k977120
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
Telastyn
33.9k977120
33.9k977120
suggest improvements |Â
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
3
down vote
More effective and less expensive than most "team-building exercises". Relax and enjoy the break.
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:26
keshlam
41.5k1267144
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
3
down vote
More effective and less expensive than most "team-building exercises". Relax and enjoy the break.
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:26
keshlam
41.5k1267144
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
More effective and less expensive than most "team-building exercises". Relax and enjoy the break.
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:26
keshlam
41.5k1267144
More effective and less expensive than most "team-building exercises". Relax and enjoy the break.
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:26
keshlam
41.5k1267144
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:26
keshlam
41.5k1267144
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:26
keshlam
41.5k1267144
answered Mar 25 '16 at 12:26
keshlam
41.5k1267144
41.5k1267144
suggest improvements |Â
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
1
down vote
It is good for the employees and the company, up to a certain point.
Parties and celebrations should be the 'exception' not the rule.
If there is such a celebration every single week, or on a very frequent basis, the magic of it could fade away, because there is often a protocol involved:
It's Amanda's birthday today, we expect everyone to be in the meeting room at 13h00, we serve the cake at 13h15, and we sign the Happy Birthay song at 13h18. You have to wait until everyone gets his cake part and eat it before you could leave the meeting room and go do something else.
Rinse and repeat one week later because it's Jean-Baptiste's birthday.
Rinse and repeat one week later because it's Sandra's birthday.
The routine gets in, and everyone does it because it must be done, put no heart in it and think about what work could be done instead, just like the point you raise.
If you feel that there are too many of these events, you could check with your colleagues and see how they feel about it. If there is a general consensus that there could be less of it, you could suggest to upper management to reduce the number of occurrences.
I'm not sure about the implication of reducing the amount of cultural related celebrations, but you could certainly suggest to celebrate the birthdays of the employees to once a month: Everyone that has its birthing during that month get celebrated, and you do this on the first Monday of the month, for instance.
Some places have a beer during the afternoon on Fridays, just to relax and encourage employees to interact with each other, not necessarily in relation with work. If there is this kind of practice at your place, you could move some celebrations done at that moment. ("We'll have a cake for Amanda's birthday this Friday, come celebrate if you want!")
answered Mar 25 '16 at 13:22
Alexandre Vaillancourt
1,580618
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
1
down vote
It is good for the employees and the company, up to a certain point.
Parties and celebrations should be the 'exception' not the rule.
If there is such a celebration every single week, or on a very frequent basis, the magic of it could fade away, because there is often a protocol involved:
It's Amanda's birthday today, we expect everyone to be in the meeting room at 13h00, we serve the cake at 13h15, and we sign the Happy Birthay song at 13h18. You have to wait until everyone gets his cake part and eat it before you could leave the meeting room and go do something else.
Rinse and repeat one week later because it's Jean-Baptiste's birthday.
Rinse and repeat one week later because it's Sandra's birthday.
The routine gets in, and everyone does it because it must be done, put no heart in it and think about what work could be done instead, just like the point you raise.
If you feel that there are too many of these events, you could check with your colleagues and see how they feel about it. If there is a general consensus that there could be less of it, you could suggest to upper management to reduce the number of occurrences.
I'm not sure about the implication of reducing the amount of cultural related celebrations, but you could certainly suggest to celebrate the birthdays of the employees to once a month: Everyone that has its birthing during that month get celebrated, and you do this on the first Monday of the month, for instance.
Some places have a beer during the afternoon on Fridays, just to relax and encourage employees to interact with each other, not necessarily in relation with work. If there is this kind of practice at your place, you could move some celebrations done at that moment. ("We'll have a cake for Amanda's birthday this Friday, come celebrate if you want!")
answered Mar 25 '16 at 13:22
Alexandre Vaillancourt
1,580618
suggest improvements |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
It is good for the employees and the company, up to a certain point.
Parties and celebrations should be the 'exception' not the rule.
If there is such a celebration every single week, or on a very frequent basis, the magic of it could fade away, because there is often a protocol involved:
It's Amanda's birthday today, we expect everyone to be in the meeting room at 13h00, we serve the cake at 13h15, and we sign the Happy Birthay song at 13h18. You have to wait until everyone gets his cake part and eat it before you could leave the meeting room and go do something else.
Rinse and repeat one week later because it's Jean-Baptiste's birthday.
Rinse and repeat one week later because it's Sandra's birthday.
The routine gets in, and everyone does it because it must be done, put no heart in it and think about what work could be done instead, just like the point you raise.
If you feel that there are too many of these events, you could check with your colleagues and see how they feel about it. If there is a general consensus that there could be less of it, you could suggest to upper management to reduce the number of occurrences.
I'm not sure about the implication of reducing the amount of cultural related celebrations, but you could certainly suggest to celebrate the birthdays of the employees to once a month: Everyone that has its birthing during that month get celebrated, and you do this on the first Monday of the month, for instance.
Some places have a beer during the afternoon on Fridays, just to relax and encourage employees to interact with each other, not necessarily in relation with work. If there is this kind of practice at your place, you could move some celebrations done at that moment. ("We'll have a cake for Amanda's birthday this Friday, come celebrate if you want!")
answered Mar 25 '16 at 13:22
Alexandre Vaillancourt
1,580618
It is good for the employees and the company, up to a certain point.
Parties and celebrations should be the 'exception' not the rule.
If there is such a celebration every single week, or on a very frequent basis, the magic of it could fade away, because there is often a protocol involved:
It's Amanda's birthday today, we expect everyone to be in the meeting room at 13h00, we serve the cake at 13h15, and we sign the Happy Birthay song at 13h18. You have to wait until everyone gets his cake part and eat it before you could leave the meeting room and go do something else.
Rinse and repeat one week later because it's Jean-Baptiste's birthday.
Rinse and repeat one week later because it's Sandra's birthday.
The routine gets in, and everyone does it because it must be done, put no heart in it and think about what work could be done instead, just like the point you raise.
If you feel that there are too many of these events, you could check with your colleagues and see how they feel about it. If there is a general consensus that there could be less of it, you could suggest to upper management to reduce the number of occurrences.
I'm not sure about the implication of reducing the amount of cultural related celebrations, but you could certainly suggest to celebrate the birthdays of the employees to once a month: Everyone that has its birthing during that month get celebrated, and you do this on the first Monday of the month, for instance.
Some places have a beer during the afternoon on Fridays, just to relax and encourage employees to interact with each other, not necessarily in relation with work. If there is this kind of practice at your place, you could move some celebrations done at that moment. ("We'll have a cake for Amanda's birthday this Friday, come celebrate if you want!")
answered Mar 25 '16 at 13:22
Alexandre Vaillancourt
1,580618
answered Mar 25 '16 at 13:22
Alexandre Vaillancourt
1,580618
answered Mar 25 '16 at 13:22
Alexandre Vaillancourt
1,580618
answered Mar 25 '16 at 13:22
Alexandre Vaillancourt
1,580618
1,580618
suggest improvements |Â
suggest improvements |Â
4
The higher-ups in your company have decided that it is, indeed, a good use of time. You yourself seem to be aware of the benefits. Is there a reason why you'd suppose that's not actually the case?
– rath
Mar 25 '16 at 12:23
2
I think "what are the pros and cons" would be a more on-topic question as "is it a good use of time / a good idea?" is dependent on so many factors and largely opinion-based.
– Lilienthal♦
Mar 25 '16 at 12:31
1
They do for some people, for others they don't, it's part of an overall strategy for teambuilding and intracompany networking, rather than a solution on it's own. There is a good reason behind having them during working hours, it allows everyone to participate who may have other obligations outside working hours.
– Kilisi
Mar 25 '16 at 18:31