Coming to the aid of the party

Madam, - If over 70 per cent of businesses believe that Christmas parties are a waste of money (The Irish Times, October 29th…

Madam, - If over 70 per cent of businesses believe that Christmas parties are a waste of money (The Irish Times, October 29th), it is not surprising that the country faces depression and economic ruin.

A very good night out can be had for, say, €100 per head, which is a minuscule amount compared with the costs of the average employee. There are about two million people in employment (CSO) so a good night out for everyone could inject €200 million back into the economy, never mind the impact on morale and motivation.

Employers should re-read the parts in their mission statements about how highly they value their staff and the importance of teamwork and then let's party our way out of recession. - Yours, etc,

ANDREW LONGWILL,

LW Associates Ltd,

Newhall,

Naas, Co Kildare.