NEW BEDFORD — Holiday office parties are slowly making a comeback this year. However, some employers are still on the fence about office holiday parties when it comes to COVID-19 safety and concerns around liability.
“It's not close to what it was, prior to the pandemic, but it is a heck of a lot better than it was last year,” said Charlie Fellows, general manager of Lafrance Hospitality.
The company owns restaurants around the SouthCoast including Bittersweet Farms, White’s of Westport and Merrill’s on the Waterfront.
“The smaller groups are doing Christmas parties, but the bigger ones, unfortunately, not this year again, I still think they don’t feel safe,” he added.
Fellows says past clients such as banks and hospitals haven’t booked any venues again. However, offices with smaller-sized staff have been booking tables for their holiday shows.
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“We've got a lot of small groups jumping in on the party that we’re throwing,” Fellows said.
In December 2020, only 23% of companies hosted holiday gatherings, down from 76% in 2019, according to a Challenger, Gray & Christmas survey. Roughly 3 out of 4 of those companies offered virtual parties instead.
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