MSI Australia & New Zealand Group (MSI ANZ Group)

An MSI annual survey of more than 700 Australian and New Zealand businesses conducted in the first week of December showed that in 2007 companies increased their Christmas function budgets – reflecting the general feel-good factor in the two economies at that time.

On the negative side, year-on-year, companies showed they are becoming increasingly worried about the potential for inappropriate behaviour at office Christmas parties – evidenced by more than 50% of businesses providing a written reminder in December 2007 as to what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate behaviour.

Key findings of the 2007 MSI Legal & Accounting Christmas Functions Survey noted that:

- 68% of businesses will hold a daytime function against 50% of businesses in 2006

- Only 4% of businesses pointed to ‘Budget Availability’ as a factor influencing their decisions to hold Christmas functions in 2007 down from 9% in 2006 – representing a fall of over 50%.

- 24% of businesses will spend $10,000 or more in 2007, up from 16% in 2006

- 65% of businesses state that staff ‘expect’ a Christmas function against 59% in 2006

- 41% of businesses have invited team members’ partners to attend functions against 50% in 2006

- 86% of businesses will fund their Christmas functions entirely with team members not being asked to contribute at all

MSI member Rod Commins of Sydney member Patterson Houen & Commins responded to the survey results by commenting “companies our researchers talked to said that day-time events see more responsible consumption of alcohol, reducing the likelihood of inappropriate behaviour.” He went on to add that “a written reminder before the event aims to sound a friendly warning but is also an important legal consideration for many companies. If something does go wrong, the company needs to be able to point to the fact it did remind all staff about personal boundaries and limits.”

MSI members would like to thank all of their clients who have participated in the MSI Christmas Spending survey and we congratulate Andrew McBryde from Andrews Light Up in Brisbane for winning the Prize Draw, an iPod Nano.

For a copy of the MSI survey results, contact Anna Toscano

on (direct line) 03 9670 3428.