There are two different types when it comes to the office parties. There are the office parties that are held in the office and then there are the office parties that are held off site. Both are a great opportunity to help the people in your office get better acquainted and maybe even bond a little in a social setting. The key to the office parties that work is keep an eye on things and make sure that any situation that could get out of hand is taken care of immediately. This works for both settings of the office parties but it is a little more difficult to do in the off site office parties. But still a well planned office party is something that is usually received well by most people and if you can make a regular event out of it then it may help to improve office morale and may even boost productivity. It is true what they say when they say that happy workers are better workers.

For the office parties held in the office you need an occasion that is going to make people want to stick around and stay in the office after hours. Normally an occasion that everyone can feel like they had a hand in is something people will stick around for and enjoy after hours. For instance, if your company had set a goal to do a certain dollar volume in sales and you finally hit that goal for a month. That is the perfect event to hold an office party for. Everyone usually understands that the office parties that happen in the office rarely involve any kind of alcohol so there would be no problem in keeping that under control. Food and non-alcoholic drinks are usually very popular at an office party like this and the best food is finger food like pizza or chicken wings. Some companies prefer to have a catered event and this is even better because the more elaborate a set up looks the more pride your employees can take in the accomplishment. Music is also a part of these celebrations along with some sort of sign or other marker to commemorate the event you are celebrating. Hold the event in the largest space you have that is comfortable and well lit. Holding an office party in a dim warehouse with no carpeting and no inner walls may not work so opt for the next largest open space with the proper conditions. Make sure someone is watching the door to watch for people as they leave to be certain everyone gets to their cars safely as many employees may not be used to getting into their cars at night in the company parking lot. Most importantly make sure you lighten up and have fun! It’s a party!

Off site office parties tend to be much less formal and much more popular among employees but they can also present a whole series of problems. Many companies will sponsor a happy hour once a month at a local tavern where the employees of that company can gather together and just let off some steam about office issues in a neutral setting. For the safety of your employees, and to protect your company, you may want to have someone at the door making sure people can drive home safely. Have a cab waiting to take anyone home that may not be in the condition to drive a car. You want the people in your office to enjoy themselves and you also want them around to show up for work on Monday morning.