Office parties departing from the norm

include live jazz, cabaret acts, magic shows and stand-up comedy.

On Site Opera, a New York City group that performs at non-traditional venues, got an unusual request to perform arias for a team of lawyers at a California firm. The numbers will include an aria from Carmen in which the title character tries to negotiate herself out of prison — a favorite of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who famously loved opera, said Artistic Director Eric Einhorn.

“It’s just a chance for the attendees to nerd out with us, to have a good time,” Einhorn said.

Some larger companies are spreading out events over several weeks and letting employees choose between ugly sweater contests, cooking lessons or pet costume competitions. Others are dividing celebrations up between teams.

A team of social media managers at PC maker Dell organized a Secret Santa gift exchange and a virtual show-and-tell for employees to share a meaningful memory or thing. The team is new and had only met in person once before the pandemic erupted in the spring.

“It’s been a wild year, and as a new team we had to work extra hard — and in new and different ways — to build community,” said Susie Gidseg, the team’s senior manager.

The caution in the private sector contrasts with the White House, which has been hosting a series of indoor holiday celebrations. With virus cases on the rise, the Centers for the Disease Control of Prevention has urged Americans to avoid large gatherings during the holidays, particularly indoors, where the virus spreads more easily.

President Donald Trump defended the parties in remarks to reporters Monday, saying the number of attendees have been reduced and that he has seen “a lot of people at the parties wearing masks.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also caused an outcry after the Washington Post reported that he had invited hundreds of people to indoor parties hosted by him and his wife. The American Foreign Service Association, the union of U.S. diplomats, called on Pompeo to cancel the parties, voicing concern that State Department employees would be compelled to attend.

A statement released by the State Department said all events followed the department’s own “Diplomacy Strong” virus protocols. That included a mask requirement for all attendees and temperature checks at the entrances.

“We’ve taken every precaution to thin out the number of individuals,” the statement said. “We do not anticipate any problems in monitoring the number of individuals in these indoor spaces.”

The statement noted that the sheer number of State Department events was partially a reflection of that diligence, as normally large events were being broken up in multiple smaller gatherings to limit the crowds.

The pandemic has made companies rethink their holiday party plans. While many of them will be virtual, some workplaces are getting creative with their celebrations to help brighten employees worn out by the health emergency.