A QUARTER OF U.S. WORKERS PREFER A ROOT CANAL TO OFFICE HOLIDAY PARTY

Matt Case - December 8th, 2025 

SEATTLE — ’Tis the season for the one workplace tradition employees would happily trade for just about anything else — the office holiday party. And according to new research, a surprising number of U.S. workers would rather face a dentist’s drill than another round of lukewarm appetizers and small talk by the copy machine.

A survey of 1,155 full-time employees finds one in three would choose any dental treatment over attending their company’s holiday gathering. A full 27% say they’d prefer a root canal — the procedure synonymous with pain — instead of making an appearance at the annual office event.

Men, it turns out, dread the festivities even more. Thirty percent say they’d pick a root canal over a company party, compared to 23% of women.

And it’s not just the holiday season workers are sidestepping. Nearly four in 10 employees admit they’d rather visit the dentist than socialize with coworkers after hours.

The survey comes from Sunny, a nonprofit focused on improving social connection in the workplace. Their new report — part of a broader look at what they call “The Great Disconnection” — points to hybrid schedules and the rise of AI tools as factors weakening interpersonal ties on the job.

“You can’t Zoom your way to an engaged culture,” Sunny CEO Betsy Parker said. “Connection takes design, not just calendar invites.”