When it has been a long day at work, happy hour is a great way for your team to connect and relieve some stress. Office happy hours are also a fun way to help reward hard work and celebrate accomplishments. However, it can be hard to come up with office happy hour ideas that please everyone – not everyone drinks alcohol (or likes to sing karaoke).
Whether you’re looking for something casual on a Thursday night or something fun to get the whole team engaged, take a look at these office happy hour ideas the whole team is sure to enjoy.
Why Office Happy Hours Are a Good Idea
Before we dive in, let’s take a look at why company happy hours are such a good idea for both big organizations and small, local companies alike.
Office happy hours are key in helping teams bond, boosting morale and promoting networking among employees outside of the 9-5. Sure, it might sound logical, but studies show that happy employees are more productive, more creative and work more collaboratively. On top of this, studies also show that these happier employees are even better at their job than their unhappy coworkers. Obviously, many contributing factors can influence why employees may be unhappy at work, but ensuring their work environment promotes productivity and relationships is a great starting point.
Why Do Employees Attend the Office Happy Hour
If you want to boost attendance at your next office happy hour event, it’s important to understand why people like to attend happy hour in the first place. Some think that happy hour is synonymous with drinking, but happy hours don’t always have to involve alcohol.
In fact, a YouGov poll looked at some of the different motivations behind why people attend happy hours.
- Close to half (45%) of those who attend work happy hours say they want to get to know their colleagues better.
- A third say they just want to “let loose” and relax with their work friends.
- 26% see it as a networking opportunity
- 23% say they’re there for the food and drinks.
Ideas for Your Next Office Happy Hour
Is your office feeling sort of blah? Fear not. We have some fun ideas to boost workplace happiness and productivity.
Serve a Variety of Drinks and Food
If you’re going to offer the team alcohol for the office happy hour, consider limiting the drinks to beer or wine and serving food with drinks. Whether you’re ordering appetizers or pizzas for the group, it’s always a good idea to offer sustenance.
At Game Time Bar & Grill enjoy happy hour specials, where bartenders serve up drink specials every Tuesday through Thursday from 4-7pm and Fridays from 4pm to close. Plus, sign up to be a member of the “Mug Club” to get special discounts and be the first to know about exclusive promotions and specials.
Get Moving
Need to take a break to recharge? Make the most of your out-of-office hours and head to Topgolf Swing Suite to get the blood (and laughter) flowing. Featuring a full bar with an elevated food and drink menu, private bay rentals for groups up to 12 players and weekday specials, Topgolf Swing Suite is the perfect office happy hour idea for New Jersey businesses. Happy hour patrons can enjoy reduced-price bay rentals on Wednesdays and half priced apps when you book a bay before 7pm on Fridays.
Play Games
All work and no play is never a good combination. Fit some fun into your work happy hour and you’ll also contribute to employee wellness. The team will return to the office energized and feeling more productive.
Sure, some bars might have a video game or two, but Game Time Bar & Grill is filled with them. With plenty of vintage games and craft beer, it pretty much turns happy hour into a playground for adults. Stop by with some coworkers after work, or bring a date if you’ve already demonstrated a mature relationship and would now like to battle out a serious game of Asteroids.
Host Your Happy Hour at iPlay America
Regardless of which happy hour ideas you choose, remember that not everyone will choose to drink alcohol, so be sure to provide different non-alcoholic options. Whatever option you decide to go with, we hope this week’s office happy hour will be the one that brings your team together and get them excited to join the next one!
Whether you’re looking for a casual happy hour or a VIP experience, we have spaces to fill every idea and budget. Give us a call at 732-577-8200 to learn more about winter birthday parties, group outings and much much more!