Many companies hold parties to celebrate the winter holidays around this time every year. But COVID-19 has made 2020 an extremely unusual year. Most businesses are avoiding any unnecessary gatherings because of the continuing spread of the new coronavirus. In fact, a recent study finds that the percentage of companies planning parties has sharply dropped. The international jobs outplacement firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, carries out the research every October. Last year, 76 percent of human resources representatives questioned for the study said their companies had plans for winter seasonal parties. This year, the percentage is just 23. And, the study found that 75 percent of those companies will hold their parties online.
Title: Office Parties Go Virtual
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/B.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Office Parties Go Virtual' data-article-id='5278'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='9688'>Many companies hold parties to celebrate the winter holidays around this time every year. </span> <span data-start-time='9688' data-end-time='18375'>But COVID-19 has made 2020 an extremely unusual year. </span> <span data-start-time='18375' data-end-time='30063'>Most businesses are avoiding any unnecessary gatherings because of the continuing spread of the new coronavirus.</span> <span data-start-time='30063' data-end-time='40688'>In fact, a recent study finds that the percentage of companies planning parties has sharply dropped.</span> <span data-start-time='40688' data-end-time='53063'> The international jobs outplacement firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, carries out the research every October.</span> <span data-start-time='53063' data-end-time='67875'> Last year, 76 percent of human resources representatives questioned for the study said their companies had plans for winter seasonal parties. </span> <span data-start-time='67875' data-end-time='72542'>This year, the percentage is just 23. </span> <span data-start-time='72542' data-end-time='81896'>And, the study found that 75 percent of those companies will hold their parties online.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/B.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=16471 data-hint-location='67875' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/what_percentage_of_companies_will_have_holiday_parties_this_year.wav'>What percentage of companies will have holiday parties this year?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='23'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/23.wav'><span>23</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/10.wav'><span>10</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/90.wav'><span>90</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/50.wav'><span>50</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=16472 data-hint-location='18375' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/why_are_most_businesses_avoiding_unnecessary_gatherings.wav'>Why are most businesses avoiding unnecessary gatherings?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='because of the new coronavirus'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/because_of_the_new_coronavirus.wav'><span>because of the new coronavirus</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/to_save_money.wav'><span>to save money</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/because_employees_do_not_like_each_other.wav'><span>because employees do not like each other</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/to_keep_employees_at_their_desks.wav'><span>to keep employees at their desks</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=16473 data-hint-location='72542' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/a_study_found_that_75_percent_of_companies_will_hold_their_office_parties__blank_.wav'>A study found that 75 percent of companies will hold their office parties <span class='blank'>online</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='online'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/online.wav'><span>online</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/in_a_restaurant.wav'><span>in a restaurant</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/in_the_office_cafeteria.wav'><span>in the office cafeteria</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/at_a_catering_hall.wav'><span>at a catering hall</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
Sound Name: https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/4753/B.wav
Preview
