If you’ve watched the 2016 comedy “Office Christmas Party,” you understand what can go wrong with a festive holiday gathering. Mix holiday emotions with overserved employees and a company party can go from fun to frightening very quickly. But I’m here in support of the annual holiday party, especially now when so many employees feel disconnected from their workplace and their coworkers.

Holiday parties are a great opportunity for employers to show appreciation to their employees, encourage team bonding, create more unity between departments, and reinforce the company culture.

I understand that socializing with coworkers is not fun for everyone. Some people are introverts and don’t enjoy forced socialization. According to a survey, 83% of U.S. companies host holiday parties, but just 47% of employees are excited to attend. And yes, there are chances for awkward moments, drunken regrets, and social faux pas, but hopefully not to the extent of the aforementioned movie.

The benefits of a holiday party definitely outweigh the potential pitfalls.

The country is going through a loneliness epidemic, in part caused by convoluted hybrid work policies, and a holiday party is the perfect way to sustain and support workplace friendship. Workplace friendships are tied to improved profitability, more innovative work, and even workplace safety. Americans make most of their friends at work, so it is important to help promote those close ties between employees.

I found a list online of ways to make the most of your holiday party and I think they provide a good starting point for you to begin planning.

Make it enticing, but not mandatory: The party should be fun and festive and appealing to attend. But it should be offered as a purely social and voluntary occasion, with no expectation of attendance or consequence for skipping.

Tailor the celebration to your team: Some teams will want purely social time and an opportunity to blow off steam. But for a team that recently went through layoffs or another big internal transition, a major celebration might feel tone-deaf, and something like a retrospective or reflective town hall might feel more appropriate.

Structure the event: Make sure to plan for concrete activities that might include things like games, facilitated conversations, and icebreaker prompts.

Help create unexpected connections: Social settings can unintentionally reinforce silos — your party-goers might seek out the people and topics most familiar to them, and miss opportunities to build stronger and more diverse relationships across the organization. Deliberately mix folks up to make sure there’s a chance for new connections to spark.

Emphasize appreciation and gratitude: A culture of appreciation boosts productivity, reduces absenteeism, and reduces safety incidents, equivalent to a value of nearly $100 million for a 10,000 person company. And recognition is extremely simple to offer. 84% of employees just want to be thanked for their efforts. A holiday party is one high-impact way to thank your employees for their contributions.

It doesn’t matter if your party is as simple as a post-work happy hour or as grand as a Caribbean cruise. Take time to gather with your team and celebrate what really matters — our deep connection with others.