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.