Naughty or Nice? I'd Go Nice—This Year, Anyway

Despite all the recovery talk, companies are still cutting costs. For a lot of firms, that means no holiday party this year.

Officemax

The number of companies planning to have a holiday party this year dropped to 62 percent, according to a survey by outsourcing-consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That's down from 77 percent last year and 90 percent two years ago.

If you're among the lucky ones to have a holiday party this year, a word to the wise: "For employees, now is not the time to draw attention to oneself with embarrassing conduct at the holiday party, particularly at a time when everyone's job is at risk of being downsized," advised John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

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