Parties and Layoffs - Does Having One Mean You Shouldn't Have the Other?

Trick question....

-On one hand, if your company has had to lay off people, you probably need to be careful on the extravagance level of any party you hold...

-On the other hand, just because you have had some layoffs doesn't mean you stop attempting to get people engaged in the mission of the company.  Parties serve that end in some cultures, so it's probably unrealistic to think parties will be eliminated in corporate America?

Want a good example of the considerations?  Look no further than Yahoo, which annouced layoffs of over 10% of it's workforce, but channels the artist formerly known as Prince in deciding to party like it's 1999. (Hint - it's 2008, and didn't Prince record that in the mid-80's?  Unrelated shoutout to SHRM Florida for having Morris Day at their state convention)

But I digress. More on Yahoo from Valleywag:

"We haven't yet heard who will be the entertainment at Yahoo's Christmas party, scheduled for December 6, four days before the company proceeds with mass layoffs. Yet again, it's being held at a convention center by a racetrack — this year, with a Vegas theme. 2007's party featured a Neil Diamond cover band. For this year, how about Money For Nothing, the Dire Straits tributaries? We're sure they're cheap. Good thing, because a tipster familiar with Yahoo's budget says the company will spend $8 million to $10 million this year on holiday parties alone.

Not just the bash in San Mateo, but also festivities for Yahoo's offices in Los Angeles, New York, and around the world. Oh, and more for the divisions. "Each department below Jerry has a party, so you end up going to at least four parties, all for the same company," says our source. For Yahoo, this is just business as usual. "The company leadership is in denial and there are parties every week," our source continues."

What do you think?  For a number like $8 to $10 million, I guess I expected more than a cover band playing "Money for Nothing" multiple times in the same night.

I'd vote to ditch the parties, at least for the year...

Comments

[Kim Bailey]

As an employee with a fun culture, I would HATE it if we had some extravagant party during a period of massive layoffs. I would rather have the Management team giving us an honest talk about using funds to save jobs (and even bonuses/incentives) over good dip and a band. I would understand and appreciate that, and I dare say, so would MOST people. Either that, or we might all be singing Auld Lang Syne.