There are plenty of people within the UK who are still rejoicing at the thought of working from home for the foreseeable future. However, even these staff are admitting they are missing the social aspect of the workplace.

The following website shows some creative ideas to help colleagues continue the crucial social element of the office, from the comfort of their own home: https://cezannehr.com/socially-distant-work-socials/. Not only does this site provide some great inspiration for work socials, but even rates them in order of popularity.

Over 1000 members of the UK workforce were surveyed during lockdown to gain an insight into what was the preferred activity to partake in with their colleagues.

Below, we look into some of the most popular choices, how you can arrange a socially distanced virtual gathering with your team and even how much it would cost.

Pub Quiz

It’ll be no surprise that the British public still loves a pub quiz, even in a virtual setting. In fact, over 37% of people voted this as their number one choice for work socials during lockdown.

It’s one of the simplest, yet most entertaining activities to do with colleagues during this time and you can still experience the atmosphere of a pub quiz from a safe distance.

Even with many pubs open again, very few are hosting events like this for the public within the space, but that doesn’t mean we miss out.

This can be played in two ways, either nominate a quiz master within the team to create questions and keep score or have a look to see if your local is hosting a virtual pub quiz of their own.

Then it’s time to sit back with a drink or two and answer the questions to the best of your ability, while winning may seem the aim of the game, it’s really about taking part and simply having fun.

The best part? It’s free! Aside from the cost of a few pints of a bottle of your favourite Pino, so no matter how many people are taking part, it won’t eat into the office budget.

Team Dinner

Over 13% of respondents chose this as their preferred method to socialise with their colleagues. Set up your chosen video calling platform, such as Skype or Zoom, sit down with your dinner and have a good catch up with work friends.

A great idea for managers to really treat their team is to send takeaway to everyone’s house to arrive at the same time. With the new Eat Out To Help Out scheme, doing so early on in the week can make the bill relatively cheap too.

If takeaway isn’t an option, why not suggest that everyone create a special dish to show off and share the recipe for? Cooking and baking have been a very popular activity to occupy ourselves with during lockdown, so many people will have a new skill or dish they want to show off.

Escape Room

Escape rooms have always been a popular choice for team building exercises and this hasn’t stopped just because of lockdown.

Escape room providers have become incredibly inventive during this time and are now offering virtual rooms with varying themes and difficulties.

Choose your provider and book your date and time, be aware, these are selling out fast so best to plan ahead.

Costs can be anywhere between £10-£30 pp and if you have a large team, you may need to book two slots and split the team.

You don’t need to do any prep beforehand, the provider’s host will talk you through all the rules and even provide a bit of guidance with hints if you struggle.

Time slots are typically between 45 minutes and 2 hours but the aim of the game is to beat the clock, so you may not even require this amount of time.

It is recommended that participants keep a pen and paper handy so they can keep track of their clues throughout the process.

Wine Tasting

Whether you love learning about various wines or simply just enjoy having a glass, this is a great way to socialise virtually.

You can locate a wine expert online who is happy to provide knowledge of different bottles or you can do some research beforehand and present the findings yourself. One great idea is to get each member to present their favourite wine.

Provide a list of wines that need to be purchased beforehand or have these bottles sent to each colleague’s house beforehand. Be aware of delayed postal times during this period and send anything with plenty of notice.

Sit back and listen to the experts or take it in turns to present your favourite wines. Be wary of the number of glasses to be tried and encourage responsible drinking!

Murder Mystery

Is there a murderer within the office? Does the HR team strike you as shifty? Time to find out who the killer is among you.

Murder mystery evenings are a brilliant way to socialise over a video callwhile adding some humour and drama into the night.

There are plenty of games available online with themes to suit any taste, from period drama (think Poirot!) to sci-fi adventure (very Doctor Who!).

Before the evening starts, send each participant their character and backstory so they can prepare for their role. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a great actor to take part.

Lines and facts can be referenced throughout the activity so there is no need to memorise them. Next, it’s time to follow the timeline and script and work out ‘who did it’.

Costumes and props aren’t necessary but highly recommended!

These are just a few of the popular and inventive virtual work socials that have sprung up across the country. Others include live zoo streaming, bingo, beer pong and even karaoke.

It’s important to continue team building and social engagement throughout the workforce during this time, not just to maintain relationships with colleagues but to keep everyone’s brains active and look after our mental health.

Especially for those who live alone, an evening spent with work friends, even through a screen, can really lift moods and make a huge difference.

© New To HR