Binge drinking at year-end parties have very different meanings to different generations
Year-end parties in a Korean office are typically accompanied by a significant amount of drinking, but a recent survey showed that younger office workers could be changing this trend.
Some 41.2 percent of the respondents said year-end office dinners are not necessary, with 10.8 percent saying it is "not needed at all," according to a survey by Job-search platform Incruit on 888 office workers from Nov. 27 to Dec. 5.
Of those who found year-end parties obsolete, 52.2 percent said it takes away personal time, while 21.3 percent said it does not help work or relationships with coworkers. Another 17.9 percent found it discouraging to most workers since such events tend to be focused on superiors, while 7.9 percent raised concerns over potential risks involved with over-drinking.
The survey also showed a stark contrast between younger and older respondents' feelings toward work dinners. Respondents in their 20s favored office parties during office hours (36 percent), as opposed to lunch (32.4 percent) or dinner (31.6 percent).
Those in their 50s, most of whom are in management positions, favored dinners (60.2 percent) over lunch (24.1 percent) or office-hour events (15.7 percent).
When asked if drinks should accompany year-end parties, 38.8 percent of the 20-somethings and 35.8 percent of the 30-somethings said they preferred just having meals. In contrast, 35.7 percent of the respondents in their 40s and 47.2 percent in their 50s said they preferred a form of dinner and drinking.
The survey also found that 69.7 percent of the respondents will have year-end office parties. Of these, 69.8 percent said they were free to choose whether or not they attend. Among those working at large corporations, 83.3 percent said they are free to decide whether or not they attend the parties, but 69.8 percent of those working at small and medium-sized enterprises said they had no such choice.
About half (49.9 percent) said the parties are conducted on a company-level, with 37.8 percent saying it was on a team level.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
