Vitaly Milonov suggested replacing expensive corporate parties with stars with bonuses for employees

MP suggests bonuses instead of stars

State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov suggested that Russian companies abandon expensive New Year corporate parties with invited artists and direct the freed-up funds to bonuses for employees. He expressed his opinion to the online outlet Podmoskovye Segodnya. According to the parliamentarian, in the current economic conditions many enterprises have to cut expenses, so spending large sums on star performances is unwise.

'Immoral' and 'we'll go to a café ourselves'

'I believe that holding expensive corporate parties with these wriggling warblers, in various pants or without them, is, of course, immoral,' Milonov said. He is confident that employees would appreciate a monetary reward more, which they could spend at their own discretion, while the festive mood would remain: having received a bonus, colleagues could arrange a get-together at a café or restaurant themselves. 'If I get a good New Year bonus, then we'll go to a café ourselves, sit together, have a wonderful celebration, and raise a toast to such a boss,' the deputy explained.

Without a legislative ban

Importantly, Milonov does not propose legally banning corporate parties or obliging employers to replace them with bonuses: in his view, the decision on the format of the celebration should remain with the company's management. At the same time, as Life.ru notes, Russian legislation does not currently require employers to hold New Year parties, and holiday bonuses are not a guaranteed payment — their awarding depends on the terms of an employment or collective agreement and the organization's internal rules.

Companies are changing the format themselves

The deputy's proposal aligns with an already noticeable trend: Life.ru previously reported that Russian companies are increasingly abandoning traditional corporate parties with long feasts. The owner of an event agency explained to the outlet that employers have begun assessing the benefits of festive events more carefully and are replacing expensive banquets with more compact formats, employee awards, and internal bonuses. Thus, Milonov's initiative is the opinion of a parliamentarian, not an adopted decision: for now it is merely a recommendation to business, whereas, according to Life.ru, companies have already begun switching to compact formats on their own.