Some state and public sector agency chiefs have said gatherings at Christmas are essential for fostering a sense of team spirit.

This is the case even if different terminology is used, for instance hosting an "annual seminar" rather than a "Christmas party," even if essentially the procedures are the same: Recognizing outstanding employees with annual awards, enjoying some festive food, clinking glasses, music and dancing, and interacting with colleagues outside the office, with the hopes of fostering better cooperation when back at work.

For instance, personnel from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications are congregating at the Proto Factory venue in the Noblessner district of Tallinn for their Christmas get-together, "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.

Ahead of that evening, Ahti Kuningas, secretary general at the ministry, said: "The itinerary includes my presentation, the minister's (Erkki Keldo - ed.) presentation, then I think a solid hour and a half will be dedicated to presenting and awarding various nominees."

"Naturally, we'll have a bit of a dance at the end," he added; popular singer Robert Linna will also take to the stage, while the ministry even has its own house band, which will be performing.

Ministry employees have to pay €20 for entry, while any guests or outside people they may bring will have to pay €35 a head, Kuningas added.

About 90 percent of the ministry's employees, or 200 people, are attending; the ticket charges helped cover the event budget of €26,000, plus additional costs for fringe benefits, tax, and VAT.

Over at the Ministry of Justice, entertainment expenses have been curtailed in light of public sector cuts.

Their entry fee was also €20, while fewer people were invited than last year.

The event is also held in November.

Ministry spokesperson Maria-Elisa Tuulik said: "The Ministry of Justice does not hold Christmas parties and hasn't for years."

"However, the ministry does mark its anniversary every November. This year, it was held on November 15, at the Lillepaviljon," referring to a venue in the Pirita district of Tallinn.

This included an appearance from the singing duo "Suured tüdrukud," while the overall budget came to slightly over €33,000.

"This was more affordable than in previous years. Considering the state of the budget, we looked for ways to cut costs. For example, no free alcoholic drinks were on offer; attendees had to buy that at their own expense," Tuulik went on.

However, not all government, state, and public agencies were equally willing to discuss their parties on camera, preferring to provide written responses instead.

For instance, the Transport Administration (Transpordiamet) wrote that while they do not specifically celebrate Christmas, they will be holding an organizational anniversary event in early January, with a cost of €145 per head.

About 400 people are expected to turn up, bringing that event's budget to around €60,000.

ERR has learned that the event will take place at Kammivabrik, in Tartu.
Although attendees usually cover their own accommodation costs, the Transport Administration will cover overnight stay expenses for employees from Hiiumaa and Saaremaa, the authority said.

Similarly, the head of communications for EISA, the joint agency of EAS and KredEx, also provided only a written statement saying their annual seminar cost €86,000 and was attended by approximately 400 people.

ERR has learned that the event was held at the Teras Beach venue, an "indoor beach" in the Haabersti district of Tallinn.

Ministries maintain that celebrations should not be forgotten, even in challenging times.

Tuulik said: "These gatherings are actually a normal part of organizational functioning, both in the public and private sectors. They foster a sense of unity."

Kuningas added that maintaining organizational culture is crucial, saying: "I personally believe that people should work on-site more often. There has been a lot of talk about remote work, but when people are together, innovation happens, management and concept-sharing take place. People need to meet in person, and events like that bring them together."

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!