Workplace: Bosses get into Christmas spirit

Company bosses will be playing Santa this Christmas, paying towards the office party or picking up the whole tab, according to a new survey today.

More than half of 260 organisations polled by the Institute of Management (IoM) said they planned to contribute to the festivities, with one in three paying for everything. Almost one in five firms will be paying their staff a Christmas bonus, while two out of five managers will give gifts to their workers. Just over half of the companies surveyed plan to close between Christmas and the New Year.

Roger Young, director general of the IoM, said: "Christmas is a great opportunity for all hard-working teams to celebrate success and have some seasonal fun. "Managers can use the occasion to reward the efforts of the past year and fire their people with enthusiasm for the year ahead."