After a few lukewarm years, the workplace holiday party has made a comeback. In ezCater's most recent survey of more than 1,000 U.S. employees and 600 planners, 82% of employees said they planned to attend their company celebration, up from 70% the year before, and most businesses kept or raised their budgets.
What's trending
The numbers come from ezCater's workplace holiday party report, released in November 2025 and based on a June survey of 1,002 full-time U.S. employees and 603 people who plan workplace events. The headline: the office party is firmly back.
- 82% of employees planned to attend their company's holiday celebration, up from 70% the previous year
- 51% of businesses were increasing their party budgets
- 80% of employees said these events matter more than ever for building team connections
- 62% preferred a casual dress code, and 53% wanted the party held during working hours
CFO.com's write-up of the same data added that average party budgets rose 13%, and food and beverage spending climbed 31% to about $59 per employee. Its headline summed up the shift: holiday parties have gone "from Bah! Humbug! to bottom-line booster."
Why it's resonating
For hybrid and remote teams, the holiday party has become one of the few times everyone is in the same room. In the ezCater data, 83% of employees said holiday celebrations help them bond with coworkers, and food was the biggest draw: 77% said it's what they look forward to most, and half said food and drinks affect whether they go at all.
It isn't stress-free, though. Nine in 10 planners told ezCater that organizing the party is stressful, and Gen Z employees were 42% more likely than other generations to feel stressed about attending. Clear details up front, such as what's being served, when it ends and what to wear, take a lot of that worry away.
What this means for your 2026 invitation
If employees are deciding whether to attend based on food, timing and dress code, the invitation is where you win them over. The data points to a few simple moves:
- Lead with the food. "Dinner · Drinks · Dancing" or "Lunch is on us" answers the number-one question.
- Say when it ends. With most employees preferring daytime events, a clear start and end time helps.
- Name the dress code. Most people want casual, so say so and nobody has to guess.
- Make the RSVP specific. A name and a deadline gets you numbers for the caterer.
A polished design signals that the company is investing in the night, too. Our editable navy and gold office holiday party invitation is built around exactly these details, with lines for the menu, the time, the venue and the RSVP. It works as a printable 5x7 or a phone-size evite.
The bottom line
Attendance and budgets are both heading in the right direction, and employees are telling planners what they want: good food, a relaxed dress code and an event that fits around the workday. Get those details on the invitation early, and the 2026 party is off to a strong start.