Christmas parties axed by nearly half of businesses as Tories blame Chancellor

Nearly half of businesses cancel Christmas parties

New research shows that almost one in two businesses are canceling their Christmas parties, leaving one in four workers to foot the bill if a celebration does take place. The study, conducted by jobs site CV-Library, also revealed that for those companies still hosting parties, they will be more low-key compared to previous years.

Remote work and tight budgets contribute to party cancellations

CV-Library chief Lee Biggins highlighted that with tighter budgets, increased remote working, and dwindling staff enthusiasm, many companies are reevaluating their traditional end-of-year celebrations. He emphasized the importance of bringing dispersed workforces together in person to mark a year of hard work, noting that some things, like Christmas parties, are simply better in a physical setting than over virtual platforms like Teams.

Shadow Business Secretary criticizes Chancellor for party cancellations

Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith did not hold back in blaming Chancellor Rachel Reeves for the party cancellations, referring to her as the "Labour grinch" who "stole Christmas." Griffith lamented that workers are bearing the brunt of the cancellations due to budget constraints following tax increases in the latest budget.