Business events including end-of-year parties, networking events, and even team-building exercises can all be a great way to reward employees, blow off steam, and strengthen company connections. But should you invite family members to events like these?

This is something of a touchy subject, with most business owners claiming that family members would find such events boring and that this change in dynamic could be a bad thing. In reality, though, while the presence of family members including children and partners does change business party dynamics, that shift might end up being a positive thing.

Obviously, it might be best to keep an event in-house if its purpose is to, say, secure new connections. Even on team building exercises, though, inviting the family along could reap surprising benefits like the following.

Proving Your Family Values:

Everyone appreciates an employer with strong family values, and inviting family members to a fully paid meal or party is about as good as it gets. For one thing, this will give you a chance to get to know partners and children so that you can better connect with your employees. A family-friendly venue stocked with everything from child-friendly hire tables and chairs, including high chairs, etc., to play areas and more can help you to stand out as a considerate, inclusive employer. This will help to both secure the team you’ve got and make you a more appealing employment prospect for the best candidates in the field when your team recommends you.

Improving Everyone’s Behaviour:

Having fun together without the stuffiness of the working day is the main benefit of hosting any business event. But, with 20% of employees reporting that they drink too much at events like these, and with countless workplace fallings out happening as a result of event antics, a behaviour modifier wouldn’t go amiss. Luckily, family invites serve that purpose well, with the presence of children, especially, resulting in far better behaviour across the board. For a little extra cost, family invites could ultimately help you to avoid fallings out, office affairs, and general misbehaviour that may, in extreme cases, cost your best employees. 

Adding a New Sense of Reward:

Most often, business events like Christmas parties, sit-down meals and more are intended to reward employees for their hard work. Yet, when you keep these occasions in-house, the conversation will most often revolve around business. Not to mention that, if they aren’t particularly close to anyone in the company, new or poorly established employees may dread, rather than enjoy occasions like these. You remove that issue altogether when you invite families who, as well as ensuring that everyone feels at ease, can help steer the conversation to more interesting, non-worky waters. By additionally paying for family meals, drinks, and so on, you can especially help to make business events feel like the reward they’re supposed to be, instead of another thing your employees feel obliged to do.

Family invites aren’t always appropriate but, if you think your event could benefit in these ways, then you shouldn’t hesitate to extend your events accordingly.

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