"Manager, Do We Really Have to Have a Company Dinner?" Persistent Company Dinners Despite COVID-19, Anxious Office Workers

22.2% of Office Workers 'Have Company Dinners'
Hotel Industry: "Weekend Reservations for December Buffets Fully Booked"
Health Authorities: "Refrain from Year-End Gatherings Like Company Dinners"

Although social distancing continues due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, some companies are still holding gatherings such as company dinners as the year-end approaches, showing negligence toward distancing guidelines. The photo shows office workers clinking their glasses. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporters Seunggon Han and Seulgi Kim] "I can't skip it because I'm worried about my boss's reaction, but really..."

Kim, a company employee in his 30s, has been troubled recently due to his boss scheduling year-end company dinners. In previous years, he would have happily attended, engaged in deep conversations, and enjoyed the year-end, but now, due to concerns about the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19, he does not want to participate in drinking gatherings.

Kim confessed, "When we have company dinners, everyone tends to get a bit drunk and probably disregards hygiene. Above all, the biggest stress is that my family could be exposed to the risk of COVID-19 spread because of me." He added, "But I can't just not attend. It's really frustrating."

As COVID-19 prolongs, social distancing and other quarantine rules still need to be followed, but some office workers are expressing burdens due to frequent year-end company dinners. Especially, there is anxiety about possibly testing positive for COVID-19 during the process of multiple people gathering in restaurants and eating together.

Experts have urged restraint from events like year-end parties because virus transmission is stronger in winter.

A job portal, JobKorea, surveyed 659 office workers last month about company dinner situations, and 22.2% of respondents answered, "Yes, we are holding company dinners."

According to the survey, 71.2% of those who said they are holding company dinners reported that these are "drinking gatherings."

Park Yujin (pseudonym, 29), a third-year office worker, explained, "Because COVID-19 has prolonged, vigilance has loosened somewhat, but I think company dinners happen because remote work has weakened the cohesion among company members."

Park said, "I can't refuse my boss's invitation to company dinners, so it's a really awkward situation. I feel anxious because I think there will be more invitations for year-end parties and such."

Another office worker, Choi Hansol (pseudonym, 33), said, "Due to COVID-19 concerns, the company does not hold official year-end gatherings, but I expect departments to hold small year-end meetings. At times like this, shouldn't we refrain from company dinners? I hope the health authorities consider strengthening social distancing measures until the end of the year," he lamented.

Especially as the year-end and New Year approach, year-end gatherings are increasing. According to the hotel industry on the 8th, large hotels in Seoul have started accepting year-end gathering reservations since early this month, and reservations are filling up mainly on weekends.

A hotel official in Seoul said, "Weekend reservations in December are already fully booked, and reservations continue to come in."

The problem is that year-end gatherings and company dinners involve many people sharing food, which can lead to droplet transmission, potentially infecting everyone dining together with COVID-19 and causing cluster infections.

Park, a 30-something office worker working as an assistant manager at a Seoul-based company, said, "It's true that COVID-19 has calmed down compared to earlier this year, but it's still unsettling because confirmed cases are still occurring." He added, "However, because my boss encourages us to gather for a year-end party, I think I have to attend." He also said, "Although I hope it won't happen, I do worry about what if I catch COVID-19."

In fact, last August, ten employees of a company were simultaneously confirmed positive for COVID-19, prompting health authorities to conduct an epidemiological investigation. The investigation suggested that the cluster infection occurred after a group meeting followed by a company dinner.

Office workers having a company dinner. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. / Photo by Yonhap News

The health authorities recommended refraining from sharing food and year-end gatherings due to concerns about COVID-19 spread.

On the 24th of last month, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, emphasized at a regular COVID-19 briefing, "We must refrain from physical contact and activities that generate droplets, and practice not sharing food."

Also, on the 27th of the same month, Deputy Director Kwon urged, "To get through the winter more safely, please keep year-end and New Year gatherings, religious events, and various event-type meetings as small as possible and strictly observe social distancing."

He continued, "The honest feeling of the health authorities is that it would be best to refrain from all kinds of gatherings as much as possible during this winter season. This winter will be the second and last winter where we have to overcome COVID-19 solely through social distancing, ahead of the COVID-19 vaccination that will start sometime next year."

Experts also urged restraint from year-end company dinners. Professor Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University Guro Hospital, said, "As temperatures drop, viruses become more resilient. Also, as it gets colder, people tend to gather indoors more, increasing the risk of COVID-19 in winter. We need to temporarily change the culture of year-end parties and company dinners," expressing concern.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.