Tis the season...

for the annual holiday party report. Here's one from the Boston Globe that has some interesting nuggets, such as some companies are foregoing the gala in favor of an extra day off, or holding it in January. From the article:

According to a national survey of 100 human resources executives by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., a Chicago-based consultancy, three of five companies say they're spending the same or less on holiday parties this year than in the past. Additionally, twice as many companies as in 2006 are not allowing employees to bring guests, 80 percent more are holding parties at the office, 60 percent more are scheduling them during the workday, and 35 percent more are axing alcohol.

The changes are as much about employee perception as they are about the bottom line.

Maybe it's because I'm a telecommuter and don't get to socialize much with colleagues, but I really look forward to any get-together we have, whether it's during the holidays or not. Then again, if I worked in an office that celebrated every birthday, I'd probably feel very differently about it.