So normally, we have a happy hour on September 15th that starts after the last return is e-filed and ends when the party ends! Well, that’s normally before 9 p.m. because everyone is exhausted from an eight-week sprint to the deadline. What are we going to do to replace this fun bonding experience when we live in Covid-world?
Here are some alternative socially distanced after busy-season party ideas:
- Zoom Race! Happy Hour starts when the returns are filed, right? The premise here is that you create a Zoom room that is monitored by literally anyone; looking for a good excuse to hire your high-schooler, perfect! The Monitor marks who joins and in what order. The rules are that your returns have to be completed, finished, and filed before you join the Zoom. Set up a series of prizes for the winners. Make sure everyone has their chosen beverage ready preemptively and hangout for a moment to decompress from the stress!
- Virtual Cheers. This one is simple: send everyone on the team a bottle of champagne. Get on a video call. Drink the champagne. Laugh, bond and smile with your team. Winning!
- Zombie Trivia. Everyone is a zombie mentally after a tax deadline, so why not play zombie trivia? Use an app like Kahoot! to program in your zombie questions. Each team member downloads the app and enters the trivia contest. Prizes should likely include brains.
- Go To Bed. No one wants to attend the boring parties on Zoom. Give the team permission to turn off early, have a drink with their quarantine family, and go to sleep.
Whatever party/nonparty you decide to have, make sure it aligns with your culture! Don’t skip a party when your team looks forward to it all year, just because it has to be remote. And don’t impose a party on your 100% introverted team that has nothing left to interact with other humans. Personally, I might combine the zombies and champagne.
