The year has rolled round again and some of the traditions we have in the UK are flourishing others are dying. Covid lockdown seems to have had a detrimental effect on our sociability and need to communicate with our fellow human beings. The wellbeing quotient seems to be diminishing. So what can we do about it? Maybe time to make an effort to resurrect some tried and tested Yule tide traditions.

The Office Party

Mistletoe mixed with photocopiers with all the pitfalls that can bring in the office at Christmas aside, it would appear the traditional Christmas party is in decline. According to the article a survey shows 21% of small businesses have opted out of a Christmas do for cost cutting reasons. Considering that 16.4 million people are employed by SMEs representing 61% of the private sector that is a considerable hit to UK hospitality. According to UK Government statistics 5.5 million businesses exist that employ under 50 employees compared to 7700 businesses that employ 250 or more people in the private sector. Combining the figures indicates that represents approximately 1 million SMEs have said “Bah! Humbug!” to acknowledging their employees contributions in the previous year and future efforts for the next. A small investment may make a difference in retention of staff who have a few days off over the festive period to contemplate their worth to that SME. A little emotional intelligence in leadership could make up to 5 million (estimating average SME has closer to 5 than 50 employees) motivated to get past the January restart to the working week.

Willing to engage with others is also another factor reported in the same article. Apparently one in four people are intending to skip the office party citing personal finances as the reason. The under 25s especially feeling the cost of living crunch where they feel they cannot afford the appropriate outfit the corporate gathering. The lack of enthusiasm for alcohol fuelled traditional office events is also cited by the owner of Huxley Events owner, Lizzie Dring. Personal experience of a PD event at LockHouse Games Escape Rooms suggests there are alternatives at a great price point that is not only an engaging competitive team building problem solving excercise but afterwards close enough to a Cambridge Run around some great pubs. Something I will suggest at work, even though supply I have in a previous position of 11 years standing as Head of Department also been the organisations Well Being facilitator. It can be very supportive in these Post Covid times to work together in a different context. We all lost a little of our sense of community during lockdown.

Secret Santa

An office tradition that can be a team building exercise when done right. This year I am having my second Christmas as a long term supply teacher at the same school. This year I decided I had worked there long enough time and it was no longer expedient or sustainable to work through lunchtimes hardly leaving the room I was teaching in. Secret Santa can be a very informal way of learning more about the underlying work culture and network of relationships that exist in the building you earn a living in.

The rules are usually simple. You fill out a slip of paper indicating our participation and the preferred likes and dislikes. This avoids inappropriate gifts that might offend culturally or be a health hazard. Chocolate Brazils for somebody with a nut allergy could mean that the Last Christmas is played ( and I don’t mean the earwig by Wham). A draw from the hat occurs to pair up the participants. Daily clues of the givers’ identity feature in the version I am participating in this year. A stipulation of the gift being no more than £8 covers a multitude of possibilities even in this cost of living crunch. Although having spent a few hours for the first time in 5 years (well only started to get past carer responsibilities and lockdown antisocial habits mid-September) in my local hostelry with friends last Saturday, I think a lot of people decided to blow that “myth” out of the water. We are lucky to live in a generally affluent country where essentials should not include body art and the latest mobile. Might be showing my own personal prejudices here, I will try to be more kind.

So we know it is Christmas when we see Santa and the local Round Table shaking their buckets, click to see post on Cambolc X feed. Still have this urge to refer to it a Twitter, calling them tweets doesn’t make a sense anymore!