A third of bosses play Scrooge at work this Christmas

A third of British bosses will be bringing Scrooge to work this year by banning Christmas festivities, new research reveals.

A survey of 1005 employees carried out by artificial Christmas tree e-tailer Christmas Tree World asked Brits about their employers’ attitudes toward festivities in the workplace and found that one in three employers will put a stop to all festive traditions this year.

The poll asked workers about the celebrations they are allowed to take part in and found that just a fifth will attend a work party or festive lunch with colleagues, while only 17% will listen to Christmas music in their workplace.

And while 15% of businesses will have Yuletide decorations in their workplace, just 9% of respondents will buy presents for their colleagues via Secret Santa and 5% will wear a Christmas jumper to work.

Although festive fun seems lacking in some workplaces, those who do embrace it start their celebration early. The survey found that three-quarters of those who are allowed Christmas tunes at work usually turn them on as early as November, and 5% already had music playing by October.

The data revealed the further north you go the more festive workplaces are. Scottish bosses are most likely to embrace Christmas at work, while Londoners are the least likely.

Stephen Evans, owner of Christmas Tree World said: “It’s surprising to see the number of workplaces that won’t be embracing the festive season with music, parties, or even a touch of tinsel.

“It’s understandable that in some places of work, decorating the office or wearing a Christmas jumper isn’t an option, but there are a number of ways to bring the festivities to the workplace without it being over the top. Christmas is a wonderful time of year and has the ability to boost morale, so it’s good for bosses to spread some cheer in the place where we all spend most of our time.”