6th December 2017

·      Over half of British workers are attending two Christmas work events  this festive season

·      Adults will spend on average £71 on looking good for their work do  

·      The post-Christmas office party hangover will cost employers £3 Billion in lost productivity    

 

The Company Christmas party is back with a bang this year as over half of British workers (55%) are attending on average two festive work do’s this December.  Over the next three weeks British workers will be splashing out £4 billion on partying and looking good at their annual work’s bash.  These findings have been revealed today in a new study commissioned by Travelodge. 

The budget hotel chain, which operates 542 hotels across the UK and welcomes millions of business customers annually, surveyed 2,000 British workers to investigate their plans for the forthcoming Christmas office party season.

Key findings revealed the decades-old tradition of holding the Company Christmas party actually in the office is dead. This year, just six per cent of employees are having an old-style festive bash in their workplace. 

The majority of employees (46%) are celebrating their year-end by having a   civilised three-course evening dinner in a restaurant, followed by drinks in a bar, and the hard-core party animals will go on to paint the town red.

One in ten workers will be going to their local pub for their Christmas do, whilst 14% are having a festive lunch, and ‘Bar Humbug’ strikes 15% of workers, who are not doing anything with their co-workers this Christmas.    

The research also revealed that in today’s uncertain climate, seven out of ten (70%) British workers’ will be paying for their annual festive work’s bash, with the average spend being £55.   However, looking good to impress colleagues at the work’s Christmas do is a priority and adults are forking out on average £71 on their appearance. Collectively British employees are spending £4 billion on their Christmas work do this year.   

Women are the most ‘glam’-conscious when it comes to getting Christmas party-ready, spending on average £80 and the most popular purchases being a blow dry, eyebrow threading, eyelash extensions and a sparkly item of clothing.

In contrast, men spend £65 on sprucing themselves up with sunbed sessions, tinted moisturisers and a trip to the barbers.  

The report also revealed that London workers are the most extravagant and will be spending £100 on going out with colleagues and £85 on looking good. Workers in Worcester are the second-most spendthrift, spending a whopping £90 on their night out and £80 impressing their colleagues by looking good. Whilst glam-loving Scouse workers come in third place and will be forking out £90 on their hair, make up and outfit and £64 on a well-earned night out with work colleagues.

Workers in Belfast are willing to dig deep to get the Christmas party started, splashing out £150, while Glaswegians show a similar commitment to workplace camaraderie by spending a substantial £145 on festive team fun. Workers in Wrexham will be spending the least this festive season, spending a total of £46: £22 on a meal out and £24 on getting glam.

The table below shows where you can find Britain’s most spendthrift workers in regards to this year’s Christmas work do  

Rank

Top Ten Biggest office party  Spenders

 

£ Spend on Christmas Work Do

£ Spend on looking good 

 

Total

 

Total City Spend

1.    

London

£100

£85

£185

£1 billion

2.    

Worcester

£90

£80

£170

£11million

3.    

Liverpool

£64

£90

£154

£111million

4.    

Belfast

£85

£65

£150

£40million

5.    

Glasgow

£75

£70

£145

£563million

6.    

Birmingham

£68

£75

£143

£93million

7.    

Newcastle

£70

£71

£141

£27 million

8.    

Leeds 

£53

£73

£126

£354million

9.    

York

£56

£60

£116

£82million

10.                 

Cambridge

£60

£55

£115

£9million

 

The study also found that a fifth of workers have planned ahead and booked themselves in a hotel, as it’s a cheaper option than getting an expensive taxi home.

The study also revealed that the post-Christmas office party hangover is not good news for British bosses as a quarter of workers already predict that they will be pulling a sickie - the day after their work’s do, due to being too hungover.

A fifth of super-organised workers have already taken a day’s holiday on the day after their festive works bash, as they know they will not be fit for work.

Employers should be warned to expect 40% less productivity from their employees who do make it into work the day after their annual Christmas party as they will be nursing a hangover. This in total equates to a bill of £3 Billion in lost productivity for companies.    

The study also revealed that the biggest work hangovers will be found in Glasgow where workers predict to be 55% less productive the day after their Christmas work do. In second place are Scouse workers who estimate to be 48% less productive, followed by Brummie employees at 44%, Geordies workers at 41% and Londoners at 39%.           

Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge spokesperson, said: “The Company Christmas party is certainly back in full swing this year. With 542 hotels across Britain, we have seen a rise in savvy workers booking well in advance for Thursday night stays throughout December, which is a key Christmas work’s night out. For many workers living in London and in major cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle and Liverpool, staying in a Travelodge hotel is a more cost effective option than getting a taxi home.”          

Ends

For further information please contact:

Travelodge Press Office

Tel: 01844 35 8703

Email:pressoffice@travelodge.co.uk

 

Notes to editors:

The poll was conducted by Travelodge in November 2017 with 2,000 British workers.

Please see below for the calculation for the £3 billion figure for the lost productivity.

 

Total number of workers in the UK is: 32.06 million

 

Source: ONS Employment and Labour Market. UK Labour Market: 2017

 

The average working day is: 7.5 hours 

Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/timeseries/ybuy/lms

Average Salary: £26,468 

Average Weekly salary is: £509

 

Source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/timeseries/ybuy/lms

32 million workers

Minus 15% of workers who don’t attend Christmas events = 26,880,000

40% 0f 26,880,000 = 10,752,000

Divide weekly salary by five working days: £101.77 (divided by 7.5 hours = £13.57)

 

7.5 hours / 3 = 2.5 hours

2.5 hours x £13.57 = £33.92

10,752,000 x £33.92 = 365 million x 2 = 730 million

25% of workers that do not turn up for work the next day. 25% of 26,888,000 = 6,720,000

£13.75 x 7.5 hours = £101.77

6, 720, 000 x £101.77 = 684 million x 2 (average Christmas parties attended)

= 1 billion 3 hundred and 67 million 7 hundred and 88 thousand + 730 million

= 2 billion 97 million 7 hundred and 88 thousand

Average = £3 billion 

Please see below for the calculation for £4 billon figure

32 million workers

15 % won’t be attending a Christmas function

 15 % of 32 million = 26,880,000

£55 per event

= 1 Billion 47 Million 840 Thousand

X the average amount of Christmas events attended of 2

= 1 Billion 47 Million 840 Thousand x 2 = 2, 957, 800, 000

2, 957, 800, 000 = Total Party Spend

Total workers (70%) spending £71 on looking good =

18,816,000 x 26,880,000

= 1 billion 3 hundred and 35 million and 9 hundred and 36 thousand

1 billion 3 hundred and 35 million and 9 hundred and 36 thousand + 2, 957, 800, 000 =

4, 293, 736, 000