OFFICE PARTIES PAGE 1

This year, is Christmas being celebrated differently

where you work because of the credit crisis? Is your
company having an office party? Listen to the programme
and answer these questions.
1 What reason did the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
give for retracting the invitations he had sent to his annual
Pentagon party?

2 Why did UBS decide not to have a Christmas party?

3 According to John Challenger, why is it not a good idea to cancel parties?

4 What percentage of companies are planning parties this year?

5 How has Christina Hoag’s business been affected by the crisis?

6 How has she reacted?

7 Where is she not cutting back?

8 Is she confident about the future of her business?

Discussion What do you think are the pros and cons of having an office party during a financial
crisis?
Read the article below and circle information that was also mentioned in the programme you
just heard. Then listen to the programme again to check your ideas.

Chicago Tribune that this isn’t the year for a
top-tier celebration, plenty
November 2008 of employers are toning
down their office parties or
Office parties fall canceling them entirely.
on tough times Almost 25 percent
companies aren’t hosting
of
firm Challenger, Gray &
Christmas, also showed that
among those firms keen on
throwing a pared-down party,
they are cutting budgets by
more than half.

holiday office parties this

If ever there was a time
to inject a healthy dose of
cheer into the workplace
and celebrate the end of a
miserable 12 months, this
would seem to be the year.
Forget about it.
Faced with lower earnings,
layoffs and a general sense
year, compared with only
10 percent who didn’t have
parties in 2007, a year in
which the head winds already
pointed to a struggling
economy, according to one
survey of 100 human resource
executives in varied industries
nationwide. The survey, by
Chicago-based outplacement
OFFICE PARTIES PAGE 2
Out is the premium Scotch, “We had been looking at employees and their spouses,
the array of pricey appetizers canceling it anyway,” said and then downgraded the
and a choice of three entrees spokesman Michael Polzin. event to a three-hour cocktail
for the sit-down, off-site “With budgets being tight, it reception for staffers only. A
dinner. In is beer and wine made the decision more clear. week ago, the client called
and a few appetizers, lunch I think it will be revisited next again to cancel altogether.
with no alcohol or just coffee year.”
and desserts at the office. Caterers are working with
The belt-tightening isn’t limited long-term corporate clients to
“A lot of companies still want to one industry. JPMorgan capture what business they
to thank everyone for their Chase & Co. is among the can, reasoning with firms that
year of hard work,” said Sarah better performers in the they need to still show some
Finlayson, creative manager financial sector and recently sort of appreciation.
at Blue Plate Catering. told its business units they
“They’re looking to save could still have parties, just “Let’s make your employees
money, and with everyone no longer on the company’s happy and you be queen
seeing what’s going on in the dime. Previously, Chase for a day,” Thomas Walter,
economy, people don’t want subsidized the events. CEO of Tasty Catering in Elk
to seem over-the-top.” Grove Village, tells clients.
“There’s no money,” Chase “In the past they’d say we
Among the local office party spokesman Tom Kelly said. have no budget, just design
casualties is Walgreen Co., “Earnings are down 65 something special,” he said.
whose holiday tradition was percent. The point we’re Now, there’s a budget and
to provide lunch to employees trying to make is we all have it’s often a fraction of what it
and their families at its to be frugal.” used to be.
Deerfield headquarters on
Christmas Eve. Some years, Other firms that have canceled “Some are pushing it into
more than 1,000 people parties here or elsewhere January,” Walter said. “We’re
waited almost 11/2 hours to include law firm DLA Piper, already holding dates in
get in the door. Hearst Communications, January for companies that
ABC News and Viacom, want to see if they make it
With Christmas Eve falling on Wall Street firms like Morgan through the year.”
a Monday last year, Walgreens Stanley, fashion designer
opted to give employees the Marc Jacobs and Enterprise
day off instead. Rent-a-Car.

This year, Christmas Eve falls
on a Wednesday, but there’s
no day off or a free lunch. The
venerable drugstore chain is
without a chief executive and
a month ago announced a $1
billion cost-cutting campaign.
Venues and caterers say they
are getting cancellations from
clients who planned their
events months ago. At Greg
Christian Catering, one client
originally planned a corporate
sit-down dinner for 200

Discussion
Which of the companies’ actions surprised you the most?
Which companies do you think are acting the most appropriately?
Would you be disappointed if your company canceled its Christmas party? Explain your reasons.
Did you go to an office party last year? If so, did you enjoy yourself?
OFFICE PARTIES PAGE 3
Teacher’s notes
Total pages 3 / student pages 2 / week of 15.12.08 / CD track 3 / mid-intermediate+
Transcript
MICHELE NORRIS, host: This year you may not have to worry about that awkward encounter with
your boss at the office holiday bash. Many businesses are forgoing their holiday parties due to a
slumping economy. So, no top-shelf scotch, no co-workers getting down on the dance floor, no
heaping platters of lukewarm hors d’oeuvres, as NPR’s Jenny Gold explains.
JENNY GOLD: Television networks ABC and CBS, fashion designer Marc Jacobs, Walgreens,
Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan, they’ve all canceled their holiday parties. Even the government is
cutting back. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff actually retracted the invitations he already
sent to his annual Pentagon party, citing “trying financial times.” Over on Wall Street, Swiss financial
firm UBS canceled its party, too. Spokeswoman Karina Byrne says this year UBS decided a party
wouldn’t be sensitive to the 5,500 employees being laid off.
Ms. KARINA BYRNE (Spokeswoman, UBS): Obviously, there is some mild disappointment, but, you
know, I think given the way the year has gone, you know, our employees are more concerned about
some larger issues than the cancellation of a holiday party.
GOLD: Byrne says it also wouldn’t send a good message to wary shareholders. Not everyone is
canceling, though. Many are scaling back. That’s what NPR is doing. Yahoo is going ahead with
its traditional holiday party, despite a plan to cut 10 percent of its workforce in December. Business
consultant John Challenger says Yahoo has it right.
Mr. JOHN CHALLENGER (CEO, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.): Canceling parties altogether
is a very tough statement, it seems to me, about where the company is at. It can only be damaging
to morale. It makes people even more insecure in their jobs.
GOLD: Only 77 percent of companies are planning parties this year, down from 90 percent last year.
That’s according to the Challenger, Gray & Christmas survey. Yup, that’s their real name.
Mr. CHALLENGER: Parties are like the canary in the coalmine. They are symbols of where companies
stand, how they see their future, you know, how they think about their workplace culture.
GOLD: Florists, restaurants, and party venues across the country are taking notice.
Ms. CHRISTINA HOAG (Proprietor, Matters of Taste): She’s putting together a sweet tray right now.
There’s double-dipped strawberries, Oreo truffles, chocolate eclairs that have been dipped again
in...
GOLD: Christina Hoag started Matters of Taste catering in Alexandria, Virginia, more than 20 years
ago. She says one of her corporate clients canceled and many of her longtime customers never
called. She’s found new clients by marketing more aggressively, but the budgets for many of the
parties she’s booked are smaller - more cocktail parties and luncheons, fewer sit-down dinners.
Some companies have asked employees to bring their own desserts, potluck style. So Hoags had to
get creative to accommodate those new budgets. For one thing, she’s changed the way she serves
shrimp. She says they’re popular, but they’re also expensive.
Ms. HOAG: If you put shrimp out, people eat seven to eight shrimp. If you offer it as a passed hors
d’oeuvres, you have control over the amount that you’re passing and therefore can control the cost
by maybe only bringing one or two shrimp per person.
GOLD: I see some beautiful orchids on that tray. Is that something you might skip as well?
Ms. HOAG: No, presentation’s always important.
GOLD: But they will make other subtle changes like serving on smaller plates so partygoers take
less food each time they visit the buffet. Despite the cutbacks, Hoag’s still optimistic about her party
catering business. And if the economy improves by next holiday season, she might even be able to
put a few more shrimp back on the plates. Jenny Gold, NPR News.