Workplace Christmas Statistics 2026: 44 Facts on Parties, Gifts and Bonuses

For many Americans, Christmas starts at work. The party, the gift swap and the bonus all land in December.

Some of it is loved. Some of it is quietly dreaded. And plenty of people are still on shift on December 25.

This page collects the most reliable US numbers on office parties, gift exchanges, bonuses, holiday work and stress. Every figure links to its source. Life outside the office, from travel to movies, is covered in our American Christmas statistics.

Office holiday parties: how many companies host one

1. 64% of companies planned a holiday party in 2024

In Challenger, Gray & Christmas's 2024 survey of 173 HR and business leaders, 64% of companies planned a holiday party, the same share as in 2023. 6% said they never hold one.¹

2. Party budgets were cut more often in 2024

17% of companies reduced their party spending in 2024, up from 8% in 2023. Another 2% skipped celebrations because of economic pressure.¹

3. Virtual parties stayed marginal

Only 4.5% of companies planned a virtual holiday event in 2024, compared with 3.9% in 2023.¹

4. 57% of hosts served alcohol in 2023

In the 2023 survey of 202 US companies, 57% of hosts said they would serve alcohol. 58% held the celebration during the workday and 32% held it on company premises.⁵

5. Budgets in 2023: two thirds flat, one third higher

Among companies planning a party in 2023, 66% kept the budget flat, 33% raised it and 8% lowered it.⁵

6. In 2020, only 5.3% held an in-person party

At the height of the pandemic, 5.3% of companies held in-person holiday parties and 17% went virtual. In 2021 the in-person share rose to 26.6%, and in 2022 to 56.9%.⁶

7. Nearly 75% held parties in 2019

Before the pandemic, almost three in four companies (nearly 75%) held a holiday party in 2019. The rate was 65% in 2018 and 62% in 2009.⁶

Do employees want the party?

8. 48% say their workplace holds a regular in-person party

In a Harris Poll of 1,238 employed US adults in November 2024, 48% said their workplace holds a regular in-person annual party, while 26% said it holds none.³

9. 83% of workers with a party say they are likely to attend

Among workers whose employer hosts a party, 83% said they were likely to attend and 74% said they look forward to it. Only 37% of Gen Z said they were "very likely" to go.³

10. 46% feel pressured to attend

The same poll found that 46% of workers feel pressured to attend the party. The share is 54% among Gen Z and 53% among millennials.³

11. 85% say parties help the workplace culture

Despite the pressure, 85% of workers said holiday parties contribute positively to workplace culture.³

12. 79% would take cash over a party

When asked to choose, 79% of workers said they would rather have a cash bonus than a party, and 71% would rather have extra time off.³

13. In 2025, 82% planned to attend, up from 70%

An ezCater survey by Sago in June 2025 (1,002 full-time employees and 603 party planners) found that 82% of employees planned to attend their company party, up from 70% in 2024. 51% of planners were raising budgets.² ezCater is a catering platform, so the survey is commissioned research.

14. Casual dress and daytime parties win

In the same ezCater survey, 62% of employees preferred a casual dress code and 53% wanted the party held during the workday.²

15. 64% cut back on after-work company events in 2023

A 2023 Visier survey of 1,000 full-time US employees found that 64% had reduced or stopped attending after-work company events. 69% would prefer a larger annual bonus to a party.⁷

Alcohol, behavior and worries

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism explains in plain words what counts as a standard drink.

16. A third of workers enjoy alcohol at the party

In the Harris Poll, 33% of workers said they enjoy alcohol at holiday parties and 30% were indifferent. 23% prefer it limited and 14% prefer none.³

17. 42% of Gen Z want moderate alcohol or none

Younger workers are more cautious: 42% of Gen Z prefer moderate drinking or no alcohol at the party.³

18. 72% of workers with a party have at least one concern

Among workers whose company hosts a party, 72% named at least one worry. 30% fear awkward conversations, 28% excessive drinking and 23% inappropriate behavior from attendees.³

Gift exchanges and Secret Santa

19. 94% of hiring managers say their company hosts celebrations

In the Express Employment Professionals and Harris Poll survey of 1,000 hiring decision-makers (fielded in June 2025), 94% said their company hosts celebrations. Holidays (61%) led birthdays (51%) and work anniversaries (50%).⁸

20. 64% say employees regularly exchange gifts

The same hiring managers said that employees regularly exchange gifts at 64% of their companies.⁸

21. Half of employees feel pressure to buy coworker gifts

In the companion survey of 1,000 US adults, 50% felt pressured to give coworkers gifts and 46% felt pressured to spend a specific amount.⁸ Co-workers also rank among the givers who most often miss the mark, as our unwanted Christmas gifts statistics show.

22. Gift pressure hits lower earners harder

71% of employees said gift pressure hits lower earners harder, 68% said it opens the door to favoritism and 62% called it an unhealthy obligation.⁸

23. 56% of hiring managers see pressure to gift direct reports

Hiring managers said employees feel pressure to give gifts to direct reports (56%), to managers (55%) and to mentors, peers or senior leaders (52%).⁸

24. Gen Z feels the gift pressure most

Gen Z workers feel more pressure than Gen X to give gifts to managers (33% against 10%) and to senior leadership (32% against 12%).⁸

Year-end and holiday bonuses

Small holiday gifts such as a turkey or a gift basket can be tax-free de minimis fringe benefits. Cash and gift cards never are. The details are on the IRS page on de minimis fringe benefits.

25. 15% of private sector workers can get an end-of-year bonus

In March 2026, 51% of private industry workers had access to nonproduction bonuses and 15% had access to end-of-year bonuses. Employers paid an average of $1.37 per hour worked, or 2.9% of total compensation, for those workers.⁹

26. Holiday bonuses reached 7% of workers in 2024

In March 2024, 12% of private industry workers had access to end-of-year bonuses and 7% to holiday bonuses.¹⁰

27. Construction leads on holiday bonuses, hospitals trail

Holiday bonus access in March 2024 was 14% in construction, 10% in manufacturing and 9% each in retail and wholesale. In hospitals it was 2%.¹⁰

28. The average small business year-end bonus was $2,503

Gusto payroll data showed an average year-end bonus of $2,503 at small businesses in December 2024, up from $2,447 a year earlier. The share of workers receiving a bonus fell.¹¹

29. 34% of companies skipped year-end bonuses in 2023

Challenger surveyed 202 US companies in 2023: 34% would not give year-end bonuses (27% in 2022), the highest rate since 36% in 2019. 15% lowered bonus values, 76% kept them flat and 9% raised them.¹²

30. 24% planned non-monetary awards

In the same 2023 survey, 24% of companies planned non-monetary awards such as gift cards or extra time off, down from 29% in 2022 and 35% in 2021.¹²

31. 60% of employers planned a holiday cash bonus in 2024

An Agital survey of 1,500 employers and employees found that 60% of employers planned holiday cash bonuses in 2024, while 42% of employees expected one. 34% said they would consider job hunting if they got none.¹³ Agital is a marketing company, so treat this as a lighter source.

Working over Christmas

32. 81% of private sector workers have paid holidays

In March 2026, 81% of private industry workers had access to paid holidays, 80% to paid vacation and 81% to paid sick leave.¹⁴

33. 97% had Christmas Day as a paid holiday

BLS data from March 2018, its newest Christmas Day fact sheet, shows that 97% of private industry workers received December 25 as a paid holiday.⁴

34. Only 26% had Christmas Eve off with pay

In the same 2018 data, 26% of private industry workers got Christmas Eve as a paid holiday. The share was 36% in production and transportation jobs and 12% in service jobs.¹⁵

35. 81% of employed people worked on an average weekday in 2025

The American Time Use Survey for 2025 found that 81% of employed people worked on an average weekday and 30% on an average weekend day. 35% did some or all of their work at home.¹⁶

36. Retailers planned 265,000 to 365,000 seasonal hires

The National Retail Federation expected retailers to hire 265,000 to 365,000 seasonal workers in 2025, compared with 442,000 in 2024.¹⁷

37. Retail added 461,500 jobs in the last quarter of 2025

Challenger data reported by Retail Dive shows retailers added 461,500 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2025, down 15% from 543,100 in 2024. It was the smallest seasonal gain since 2008.¹⁸

38. Seasonal retail hiring peaks in November

Retail added 277,400 jobs in November 2024 and 142,000 in December 2024. The average since 2005 is 378,915 in November and 127,060 in December.¹⁹

Holiday stress, time off and productivity

39. 41% of US adults expected more holiday stress in 2025

In a Healthy Minds Poll of 2,203 adults in November 2025, 41% expected more stress during the holidays, against 28% in 2024. Among 18 to 34 year olds it was 49%.²⁰

40. Affording gifts worries 46%

The same poll named the top holiday anxieties: missing someone or grief (48%), affording gifts (46%), family dynamics (32%) and loneliness (31%).²⁰

41. 65% of office workers say they get more done in December

In a 2018 Accountemps survey of more than 2,800 US office workers, 65% said they get more done during the holidays. The top obstacles were personal commitments (36%) and year-end workloads (31%).²¹ It is the newest US wave of this survey we could verify.

42. 55% left paid time off unused in 2018

U.S. Travel Association data for 2018 shows that 55% of Americans did not use all their paid time off. 768 million days went unused.²²

43. Three in four did not take all their time off in 2024

A 2024 Harris Poll of 1,170 workers found that three in four did not use their maximum allowed paid time off. 60% struggled to disconnect fully while away.²³

44. 54% cannot fully unplug on vacation

In a 2022 Glassdoor survey of 20,297 respondents, 54% of US professionals said they cannot fully unplug from work during paid time off.²⁴

What the numbers mean for businesses

Three things stand out. Most workers like a December ritual but resent pressure around it: the party is welcome, the forced gift swap less so. Cash and time off beat any event. And the stress around the holidays is real and starts early. For related numbers, see our pages on Christmas stress and loneliness and Christmas spending.

Who uses advent calendars, and why, is covered in our advent calendar statistics. Ideas for small team gestures are on our pages for employees, companies and customers.

My take

Frequently asked questions

How many companies hold a holiday party?

In Challenger, Gray & Christmas's 2024 survey, 64% of US companies planned a holiday party, and 6% said they never hold one. Before the pandemic, nearly 75% held one in 2019.

Do employees want a holiday party?

Mostly yes, but with conditions. 83% of workers whose employer hosts a party said they were likely to attend (Harris Poll, 2024), yet 79% would take a cash bonus over a party.

How many workers get a holiday or year-end bonus?

In March 2026, 15% of private industry workers had access to end-of-year bonuses (BLS). In March 2024, 7% had access to holiday bonuses.

How many Americans have Christmas Day off with pay?

BLS data from 2018 shows that 97% of private industry workers had Christmas Day as a paid holiday. Only 26% had Christmas Eve.

Do employees feel pressured to buy gifts for coworkers?

Yes. In a 2025 Express Employment Professionals and Harris Poll survey, 50% of employees felt pressured to give coworkers gifts and 46% felt pressured to spend a specific amount.

Where can I use these statistics?

You are welcome to quote them in articles, newsletters, HR presentations and reports. Please link to this page as the source.

Sources

1. 1Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Holiday party survey 2024 (challengergray.com)
2. 2ezCater (survey by Sago), Workplace Holiday Party Trends 2025 (businesswire.com)
3. 3The Harris Poll, State of Work Holiday Parties 2024 (theharrispoll.com)
4. 4U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Christmas Day fact sheet 2018 (bls.gov)
5. 5Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Holiday party survey 2023 (challengergray.com)
6. 6Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Holiday party survey 2022 (challengergray.com)
7. 7Visier, Employees and company-sponsored events 2023 (visier.com)
8. 8Express Employment Professionals and The Harris Poll, Behind the Holiday Glow 2025 (expresspros.com)
9. 9U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nonproduction bonuses, March 2026 (bls.gov)
10. 10U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Access to end-of-year and holiday bonuses 2024 (bls.gov)
11. 11HR Dive, citing Gusto payroll data on year-end bonuses 2024 (hrdive.com)
12. 12Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Year-end survey 2023 (challengergray.com)
13. 13HR Dive, citing an Agital survey on holiday bonuses 2024 (hrdive.com)
14. 14U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2026 (bls.gov)
15. 15U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Christmas Eve fact sheet 2018 (bls.gov)
16. 16U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey 2025 (bls.gov)
17. 17National Retail Federation, 2025 holiday forecast (nrf.com)
18. 18Retail Dive, citing Challenger, Gray & Christmas seasonal hiring data (retaildive.com)
19. 19Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Seasonal Retail Hiring Report 2025 (challengergray.com)
20. 20American Psychiatric Association, Healthy Minds Poll on holiday anxiety 2025 (psychiatry.org)
21. 21Accountemps (Robert Half), Holiday productivity survey 2018 (roberthalf.com)
22. 22U.S. Travel Association, Paid Time Off Trends fact sheet (2018 data) (ustravel.org)
23. 23HR Dive, citing a Harris Poll on paid time off 2024 (hrdive.com)
24. 24SHRM, citing Glassdoor on unplugging during paid time off 2022 (shrm.org)