Office holiday party sign-up sheet

How much food

People eat less at a weekday lunch than at a weekend party. One dish for every three or four people is plenty. For 40 people:

• 3 or 4 mains
• 4 sides and 2 salads
• 3 desserts
• 2 vegetarian or vegan dishes, on their own lines
• Soft drinks and water

If the company is paying for a main, such as catered trays or pizza, say so in the description and take the mains lines off the sheet. People bring better sides when they know the base is covered.

Jobs, not just food

Not everyone cooks, and a work party should not feel like a test. Make sure the sheet has enough non-food lines that anyone can claim one:

• Plates, cups and utensils
• Decorations
• The playlist and a speaker
• Setup before lunch
• Cleanup after

Cleanup is the job that goes to the same people every year. Put it on the sheet with a number, and the work spreads.

Dietary needs

Ask everyone who brings food to note the main allergens, like nuts, gluten, dairy or shellfish, and whether it is vegetarian. Then put small labels on the table. Newer colleagues and people with dietary restrictions will not always ask, and they should not have to.

If you have colleagues who do not celebrate the holiday, call it an end-of-year lunch. It costs nothing and more people come.

Remote and hybrid teams

On a hybrid team, pick an in-office day well in advance, and say on the sheet who it is for. Remote colleagues can still claim a non-food line like the playlist, or join a video call for the gift swap.

Timing

December fills up fast. Send the sheet three weeks out and close it a few days before so you can fill the gaps. A reminder two days before covers shopping, and a morning one can say where the fridge space is.

A ready list

The starter list above covers an office of about 40. Paste it into Dibs and each line becomes a slot with a limit. Coworkers claim from a link in Slack, Teams or email with no account and no ads, and you can show first names only.