ezCater

The workplace holiday party is experiencing a renaissance. After years of muted, virtual, or often skipped celebrations, employees are signaling a resounding return to in-person festivities, with the latest data revealing an 82% attendance rate expected this year.

This sharp spike — a 17% increase from the estimated 70% attendance in 2024 — signals a profound shift in post-pandemic workplace culture, ezCater reports. For companies navigating hybrid work models, the annual holiday party is no longer just a festive tradition but a crucial tool for boosting morale, driving retention, and building the social cohesion essential for a productive team.

A Rise in the Holiday Party Budget for a Season of Connection

The attendance spike is matched by businesses’ willingness to invest. Over half of workplace decision-makers (51%) report they are increasing their company holiday party budgets this year, with overall spending rising by an average of 13%. This investment reflects an understanding that in an era where teams may rarely be in the same room, the holiday party provides indispensable face time.

The real reason for the return is pure festive community. When the invite lands, employees are RSVPing to nurture real-life friendships and enjoy the camaraderie they’ve missed. A substantial 83% of workers confirm that holiday parties help them bond with colleagues and develop friendships.

Hybrid Work: The Ultimate Holiday Party Driver

For teams dispersed across home offices and coworking spaces, the corporate holiday party has become an essential occasion for re-establishing a shared culture.

80% of employees believe holiday parties are as important or more important than ever for team bonding in today’s hybrid/remote work environment. The social stakes are high: 30% of hybrid employees who missed a past holiday party reported experiencing FOMO (fear of missing out). Companies are recognizing that for a hybrid workforce, these celebrations serve as a vital annual reset, allowing colleagues to move beyond transactional communication and build relationships that underpin effective collaboration.

The Business Case for Growing Investment in Holiday Parties

The decision by over half of businesses to boost spending is a clear sign they view the holiday party as a strategic business investment, not just a perk.

In a competitive labor market, fostering a strong sense of community is key to employee retention and morale. These events serve as a high-impact, visible demonstration of a company’s commitment to its workforce. Furthermore, the data suggests that for a significant portion of attendees, the experience is largely positive: 96% of employees report looking forward to workplace holiday celebrations.

However, planning remains challenging. Nine out of 10 planners find the process stressful, with the greatest difficulty being creating a menu that satisfies everyone’s tastes.

The 2025 Holiday Playbook to Making Spirits Bright (and RSVPs High)

Companies can easily capitalize on this surge in interest by focusing on four co

SafeRide Health

Step into one of the four connected homes near the University of Minnesota any evening, and you’ll usually find families eating in the dining room, volunteers serving food, kids playing video games and climbing into the child-sized castle, and parents trying to forget about their troubles for just a few hours in this home away from home.

The Ronald McDonald House on Oak Street in Minneapolis is one of the country’s larger Ronald McDonald Houses, serving families whose children are undergoing medical treatment at the university. The families come from all over the country—and the world—drawn by specialists at the University of Minnesota who are the best in their fields. Some parents and siblings stay at the house cost-free for weeks, and others live there for months and even years while their children and siblings battle cancer or undergo transplants. The house is one of five facilities operated by Ronald McDonald Houses Charities, Upper Midwest (RMHC-UM). Last year, the organization served 5,649 families, saving them about $7.5 million in out-of-pocket expenses for meals, lodging, essential supplies, parking, transportation, and more. Here, SafeRide Health highlights how these services support families whose children are impacted by serious illness.

Courtesy of RMH-UM

As Jill Evenocheck, RMHC-UM president and CEO, explained, “A child’s serious illness is a worst-case scenario for families, often resulting in devastating emotional, financial, and physical consequences. By meeting basic needs and providing holistic, family-centered care, we mitigate the stressors faced by patient families, enabling them to engage more effectively with their child’s care team, support their other children, and attend to their own social, emotional, and financial needs.”

RMH-Oak Street in Minneapolis is particularly well-equipped, with a large commercial-grade kitchen, 48 private rooms or suites, an open gym, movie screening room, exercise room for adults, multiple lounge areas, play spaces, two playgrounds, large dining room, therapy dog (Bernie, a very sweet Bernedoodle), and even a K-12 school with a teacher, assistant teacher, afterschool program, and summer school. One recent day, six kids of all ages studied out of workbooks and learned together while their parents and siblings spent the day at the nearby hospital.

These resources are invaluable to families in need of a home away from home: “We felt significantly less stress while staying there,” a parent noted after their stay. “The meals were convenient, easy, and delicious. In a time when we as parents forget to take care of ourselves while taking care

Srdjan Randjelovic // Shutterstock

Student-loan debt in the U.S. has now crossed the $1.8 trillion mark. That magnitude means one thing: you’re not alone.

Debt doesn’t define you. But how you deal with it absolutely can.

Borrowers who take one small, proactive step—by checking their rate, exploring refinancing, or simply understanding their options—often describe the same feeling afterward. Relief. Clarity. Control. And while refinancing a federal loan means giving up certain federal benefits like income-driven repayment, forgiveness programs, or specific deferment options, in some situations it can still be worth it. Confidence with money doesn’t come from being debt-free overnight; it comes from understanding it and knowing what to do next.

Earnest shares three actions to take to help gain control of your student loans instead of feeling controlled by them.

1. Face your numbers—gently.

Avoiding your loan balance might feel like the easiest path, but unfortunately, the old cliché is true: Knowledge really is power. A clear view, even if it’s uncomfortable, is the first step to regaining control. Start simple: Check your total balance, interest rate, and monthly payment. Write them down. That act alone turns a vague worry into something you can work with.

Borrowers can be surprised by what they find. Some realize they’ve already made more progress than they thought. Others discover they’re on a longer repayment term than expected—or, frustratingly, that their interest rate is much higher than today’s market averages for borrowers with similar credit.

And remember: You’re one of over 43 million Americans with student-loan debt, so showing up and looking at your numbers puts you in good company.

2. Look for breathing room, not perfection.

The goal isn’t flawless finances; it’s forward motion. If your monthly payments feel too high or your rate feels outdated, take time to explore whether refinancing could make sense for you.

Refinancing your student loans allows you to replace one or more existing loans with a new one—often at a lower interest rate or with new repayment terms. That can help save money on interest, pay off your loans faster, or reduce your monthly payment. A longer term may lower your monthly payment but increase total interest, while a shorter term may raise your payment but reduce overall interest. If refinancing frees up even a little each month, that money can be redirected toward other goals like saving, investing, or paying down higher-interest debt. But the real shift goes beyond the numbers—it’s emotional. Refinancing can be the moment borrowers stop feeling “stuck” and

Tim Sloan // AFP via Getty Images

For decades, corn has reigned over American agriculture. It sprawls across 90 million acres — about the size of Montana — and goes into everything from livestock feed and processed foods to the ethanol blended into most of the nation’s gasoline.

But a growing body of research reveals that America’s obsession with corn has a steep price: The fertilizer used to grow it is warming the planet and contaminating water.

Corn is essential to the rural economy and to the world’s food supply, and researchers say the problem isn’t the corn itself. It’s how we grow it.

Corn farmers rely on heavy fertilizer use to sustain today’s high yields. And when that nitrogen breaks down in the soil, it releases nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas nearly 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Producing nitrogen fertilizer also emits large amounts of carbon dioxide, adding to its climate footprint.

Agriculture accounts for more than 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and corn uses more than two-thirds of all nitrogen fertilizer nationwide — making it the leading driver of agricultural nitrous oxide emissions, studies show.

The corn and ethanol industries insist that rapid growth in ethanol — which now consumes more than 40% of the U.S. corn crop — is a net environmental benefit, and they strongly dispute research suggesting otherwise.

Since 2000, U.S. corn production has surged almost 50%, further adding to the crop’s climate impact.

Yet the environmental costs of corn rarely make headlines or factor into political debates. Much of the dynamic traces back to federal policy — and to the powerful corn and ethanol lobby that helped shape it.

The Renewable Fuel Standard, passed in the mid-2000s, required that gasoline be blended with ethanol, a biofuel that in the United States comes almost entirely from corn. That mandate drove up demand and prices for corn, spurring farmers to plant more of it.

Many plant corn year after year on the same land. The practice, called “continuous corn,” demands massive amounts of nitrogen fertilizer and drives especially high nitrous oxide emissions.

At the same time, federal subsidies make it more lucrative to grow corn than to diversify. Taxpayers have covered more than $50 billion in corn insurance premiums over the past 30 years, according to federal data compiled by the Environmental Working Group.

Researchers say proven conservation steps — such as planting rows of trees, shrubs and grasses in corn fields — could sharply reduce these emissions. But the Trump administration has eliminated many of the incentives that helped farmers try such practices.

Experts say it all raises a larger question: If America’s most widely planted crop is worsening climate change, shouldn’t we begin growing it a different way?

Cira123 // Shutterstoc

When the flu strikes, one of the biggest concerns is how long you might be contagious. Knowing this can help protect your family, friends, and coworkers from catching the virus. This guide from Doctronic.ai breaks down exactly how long you can spread the flu and what you can do to minimize the risk.

It is crucial to recognize that the contagious period can vary significantly among individuals, influenced by factors such as age, overall health, and the specific illness in question. For instance, while adults may follow a more standardized timeline, children often exhibit different patterns of contagion, sometimes remaining infectious even after their symptoms have resolved. This variability underscores the importance of vigilance and awareness, especially in communal settings like schools and daycare centers, where the risk of spreading infections can be heightened.

Maintaining good hygiene practices is not just about personal health; it is a collective responsibility that can significantly impact public health. Simple actions such as frequent handwashing, using hand sanitizers, and wearing masks in crowded places can create a protective barrier against the spread of infections. Educating those around you about the importance of these practices can foster a culture of health awareness, ultimately leading to healthier communities. By prioritizing these measures, we can work together to minimize the impact of contagious diseases and protect the most vulnerable among us.

Key Takeaways

• You are typically contagious one day before symptoms start and up to seven days after becoming sick.
• Children and people with weakened immune systems may be contagious for longer periods.
• Early diagnosis and care, including telehealth visits, can help manage symptoms and reduce the spread.
• Good hygiene and isolation during contagious periods are essential to prevent transmission.
• Understanding the contagious timeline helps you make informed decisions about when to return to work or school.

Understanding Flu Contagiousness

When Does Flu Contagiousness Begin?

You can start spreading the flu virus to others about one day before you even notice symptoms. This means you might feel perfectly fine but still be contagious. This early contagious period is one reason flu spreads so quickly in communities and workplaces. In crowded environments, such as schools and offices, the potential for transmission increases significantly, as people often share spaces and interact closely. The flu virus can survive on surfaces for several hours, further facilitating its spread. Regular handwashing and sanitizing common areas can help mitigate this risk.

How Long Are You Contagious After Symptoms Appear?

Once symptoms like fever, cough, and body aches begin, you remain contagious for about five to seven days. The most infectious period is usually the first three to four days after symptoms start. During this time, the viru