How to bring the office Christmas party to everyone

In a post-COVID, hybrid-working, AI-influenced world, it’s easy to feel distant from your coworkers. That means having a work Christmas party is more important than ever. It’s not (just) about getting tipsy and complaining about how badly organised your Google Drive is. It’s an opportunity to bond as a team, and feel appreciated by your organisation.

But the traditional office Christmas party isn’t a possibility for everyone. Hybrid and remote workers, globally or nationally dispersed teams, shift workers, night workers, parents or those with caring responsibilities - there’s 101 reasons why the ‘annual Christmas do’ isn’t a universal experience. 

There is an alternative though. If your employees can’t come to your party, bring the party to your employees! If you know Huggg, you might have guessed our solution: your team can feel the festive spirit, through the wonderful power of gifts! 

…In all seriousness, it’s a simple way to spark a connection. Both with the organisation, and with co-workers - as people can chat about their gifts, and get virtually ‘vibey’ together.

In the article, we’ll cover the gifts you can send for before, during, and after your work Christmas party to keep everyone feeling a part of it.

Pre-party: gifts to get everyone ready

Everyone knows that the ‘getting ready’ part is sometimes the best bit. Anticipation is a helluva drug, and having a bit of pre-party 'me time' is a hugely underrated part of attending any event - whether it’s putting on a face mask, having a bath, lor ining your stomach with a hearty meal.

Self-care gifts to prepare: 

• grüum: beautiful, Scandinavian-inspired skin, hair, and self-care goodies, with themed gift sets such as "skincare saviours", "beard tamers", and "timeless radiance".
   
• PrePear: a pre-alcohol drink made from Korean Shingo pears, full of antioxidants, micronutrients, and compounds that research suggests can help prevent against hangovers.

For those who can’t actually attend the main event, and don’t have any nearby coworkers to celebrate with, why not pre-emptively send them some party supplies? A few tipples (alcoholic or non-alcoholic!) will send the message that no-one gets left behind, when it comes to party season.

Tipples to treat your team:  

• Virgin Wines: red, white, rosé, champagne - whatever your flavour, Virgin Wines offers the best of quality vino - the perfect way to help your teams toast each other from afar.
   
• Pimentae: mouthwatering margaritas, with beautifully illustrated packaging - it's a party in a can, with a range of flavours on offer - from spicy to grapefruit. 

During the party: gifts to help everyone celebrate

If you’ve got teams across the country (or globe!) hosting their own office Christmas parties, you want a way to feel like you’re ‘in it together’ - even if the celebrations take part on different days or times. Our suggestion: competitions, with real prizes on offer. Everyone can try their hand at various challenges on the night - think quizzes, or other office Christmas party games - and win prizes.

Prizes everyone is keen to win: 

• Spa diffuser from The White Company: for luxury in a bottle, give employees the chance to win a fantastically fragrant prize, ideal for kicking off some New Year zen. 
   
• The connoisseur's duo set by R.O.C.K.S.: offer up a pair of classy whiskey glasses, and six of the iconic fast-cooling, non-diluting, granite whiskey stones. 

There will always be people who can’t make any meet-up - whether it’s timing issues, familial or caring responsibilities, health issues, or logistical challenges. But they don’t have to feel shortchanged. Send them a party-in-a-box AKA a hamper filled with tempting treats and tipples.

Hampers to bring the party:

• British Hamper Company: if you want teams to eat, drink, and be merry, you're sorted - with options like "Christmas party", "gluten-free celebration", and "prosecco & chocolate".
   
• FodaBox: for hampers tailored to your teams' preferences, look no further. Think "ultimate craft beer experience", "recovery and health", and "port and cheese".

Post-party: gifts for everyone’s morning-after

Is anyone actually a morning person? Even if they do exist, the work Christmas party will put a stop to that enviable-yet-infuriating flavour of enthusiasm! So everyone would appreciate a post-party pick-me-up, whether it’s a strong cup of coffee or something filled with vitamins and other healthy-sounding things that will get them back on track.

Morning-after must-haves:

• Reclaim: shots after a night out?! These recovery shots high doses of functional mushrooms, adaptogens, vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes to detoxify, rehydrate, replenish and re-energise.
   
• London Nootropics: Blended with best-in-class adaptogen extracts, these coffees are crafted for those seeking mental clarity, balance and endurance throughout their day.
   
• Drowsy silk sleep mask: After a long evening, it's essential to catch up on your beauty sleep - and this will help your employees get an extra few hours of uninterrupted rest. 

We’re not necessarily talking about hangovers. Even a late night can leave you craving comforts like your sofa, TV, and some tasty food. Line your employees up with some hearty food options, and they’ll appreciate that you appreciate them - for their party selves, their post-party selves, and their on-form to-do-list-busting selves. 

Comfort food to banish the blues:

• Pasta Evangelists: What's more comforting than a warm bowl of pasta? From the "carbonara of dreams" to a "beef and chianti lasagne", this is food that's truly good for the soul.
   
• Barefoot Bakery: Trust us, these are not just any brownies. These next-level bakes are game-changing - even life-changing! - and your employees will love basking in a moment of chocolatey indulgence. 

How employee gifting connects dispersed teams: the data

First off, let’s remind ourselves of why belonging is important in the workplace. According to one study, employees who feel a strong sense of belonging have:

• 56% increased performance
• 50% less turnover risk
• 75% less sick days

Great. But who’s to say employees in your organisation don’t feel like they belong? It might not be a problem for your teams right now, but there are some risk factors to be aware of if these things apply to you…

• If you have hybrid or remote workers: McKinsey research shows that 66% of hybrid workers feel excluded from social and cultural moments at work - so gifts can act as a proxy for social connection in the way we described, as they feel recognised from afar 
   
• If you have distributed teams: 70% of employees feel disconnected without their organisations creating deliberately shared events, if they’re working across regions.

It’s pretty clear. If you have dispersed or remote/hybrid teams, connection should be a concern. And using gifting as a signal of recognition, appreciation, and acknowledgement could go some way to bridge that gap. With tangible evidence that you’ve been remembered (whether it’s some cocktails-in-a-tin or some luxury skincare) it’s a lot easier to feel a part of the organisation. 

6 office Christmas party ideas for hybrid & multi-location teams

It’s not always possible for every employee to squeeze into the same venue, at the same time, with the same Wham!-heavy Christmas playlist. Shift patterns, time zones, caring responsibilities, long distances… workplace culture is more complicated than it used to be. 

But that doesn't mean people should miss out on festive fun.

Try these easy, inclusive ways to make your workforce feel connected this Christmas - no matter where they’re celebrating:

1. One company, one theme

Different cities? Different countries? Different hemispheres? Give your teams a consistent thread to tie their celebrations together.

Think:

• A shared theme (“Top 10 Xmas hits”, “German markets”, “Homemade Christmas”)
• A company-wide playlist
• A few activities everyone can join in on
• A shared gifting moment that everyone gets in on, individually or as a team

Get everyone high on the festive supply you’re blowing out, and make it an event that will replace “what’s the weather where you are?” small talk for weeks (if not months) to come.

2. Cross-team, cross-border fun

Christmas games don’t have to happen in one room. Your teams can get (unhealthily competitive), show off, and win bragging rights from literally anywhere in the world:

Try a:

• Virtual karaoke-off
• Company quiz
• Online escape room
• Global scavenger hunt

Send winners something tangible - like a hamper from FodaBox or The Gifting Team - so there’s something worth staying and getting competitive for. 

3. Mini Christmas parties where required

Some teams are tiny. Some are totally remote. Some work weird shift patterns. Some can barely agree on a meeting time, never mind a Xmas party venue. Make it easy for smaller teams to feel the party vibes, even if they can’t be together with the rest of the organisation. Send a gift to managers who can bring to a wider team, or share among them: 

• A little wine or beer bundle
• A festive hamper
• A voucher for an activity

It’s all about giving people a ‘moment to remember’ - and that will pay off it ways you can’t track, but you definitely can feel.

4. Give everyone a reason to dress up

Searches for “what to wear to an office Christmas party” go wild each year, and it can be a bit stressful to get it right - as Christmas office party attire needs to be appropriate for a work setting, but still festive. But if half your team is joining in remotely, it’s worth keeping things simple - while still giving everyone the excuse to make more of an effort than they usually would for their daily stand-up.

Offer guidance that’s fun, not stressful:

• Something sparkly on top (camera-friendly)
• Optional festive accessories
• Zero pressure

It’s a simple way to give permission to lean into the festive feeling, without making it awkward or stressful.

5. Make the absent feel included, whatever the circumstances

Not everyone can - or wants to - attend the work Christmas party. They might have a new baby. They might hate big groups. They might be in a completely different country. They might feel stressed about the pressure to drink. 

Whatever it is, a small gift says “you are still part of our team, and we recognise you”.

Think:

• A Pimentae cocktail or Hotel Chocolat spirits trio
• A self-care moment from L’Occitaine or Gruum
• Pasta or brownies for a cosy night in

It’s not about the gift (although Huggg has a LOT of amazing options). It’s about the feeling of being remembered, and included.

6. A shared ‘morning after’ moment

Whether you love an espresso martini, or avoid all harmful substances - the morning after a Christmas party is a bonding experience. The stories, the starry-eyed memories, the (HR approved!) goss. And post-party activities and gifts can recreate that in a hybrid or dispersed workforce…

Create a company ritual…

• An organisation-wide ‘morning after’ thread on Slack or Teams
• Recovery kits delivered ahead of time
• Comfort food delivered right on time: gift cards for Deliveroo, or Pasta Evangelist

Post-work-do anxiety is a real thing, people. Find a way to make EVERYONE feel good about the night before, whether they were physically at your Christmas work do, or not.

Huggg’s takeaway: work Christmas parties are for everyone, wherever they are

Everyone wants to belong. Everyone wants to celebrate the end of the busy season. Everyone wants to feel like someone’s saying “hey, you did a good job this year”. That’s why employee gifts are a perfect way to make office Christmas parties more inclusive. 

Our platform makes that easy. There’s gifts for every preference and need - and you can send physical gifts using links for employees to redeem themselves, so there’s no need to collect addresses. Start exploring the Huggg platform for free.