Company Holiday Party

[disneychrista]

Do you go to your work's Holiday party? Do you bring a plus one? If you go, do you go because you WANT to or because you feel OBLIGATED to go?

 

[low-key]

Bah hum bug

 

[low-key]

I hate when they try to bully you into going to there party's, also hate the dame bullying to give to United Way

 

[starry_solo]

My work holiday party happens at lunch time so no plus one allowed. However, as my office has 4 offices, all miles apart (15 to 100 miles), we end up having different holiday parties at each of the offices.

 

[quandrea]

I work at home now (self employed), but never used to attend the holiday party. I wanted to be home with my husband and if I was going to socialise, I wanted to do it with my close friends. Never felt pressured to go.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Thankfully mine does not have a Christmas party. Many years ago I was at a school and we had one (we only had one in all the years I was there), I attended. It was very tame by "party standards" as we had it in the school cafeteria. I felt that it was an obligation to go. I had a good enough time though.

I have attended somebody else's company Christmas Party as a plus one....those were more fun than my own.

 

[ronandannette]

Do you go to your work's Holiday party? Do you bring a plus one? If you go, do you go because you WANT to or because you feel OBLIGATED to go?

We have a few different company functions for Christmas; a formal dinner-dance put on by corporate (attendance at least for management is very strongly "suggested"), a fun-day (this year it's bowling/mini-golf) with food, booze and gifts and an office potluck. I attend all of them with DH as my escort for the fancy thing. The other two are during the work day so there's really no way not to go unless you take the day off.

 

[amcnj]

My workplaces did holiday luncheons. I can’t recall any that had a nighttime function, though there are a few short term oldies that I can’t remember what we did, if anything. Some were just coworkers going somewhere, and others were in-house department wide events. I always went if I was in work at the time it was happening. There was never any pressure to go.

 

[scrump]

I do not attend. I've been to a few over the years (at different companies) and I've seen some questionable behavior and not looked at my colleagues in the same light - it made it hard for me to take them seriously. Today I just use that as an excuse to not go. I would rather go home and stare at the wall than to go to some these parties.

 

[disneychrista]

For most of my working career I was the one "hosting" the party at the Company Ale House. Last year was the first year I got to go to one and just be a guest. I am not the most social person, so I was glad to have a plus one and a couple beers. This year I am not sure I will have a plus one (probably not) so I am more apprehensive about going but will go because I feel like I should, not necessarily because I want to.

We also have a department luncheon. They order pizza & salad (cost was close to $20/each last year which I thought was ridiculously expensive). We do a white elphant type exchange but with "good" gifts and a cookie exchange.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I usually go. Sometimes my wife comes along if she's not busy and willing to be drug along.

 

[low-key]

Not that I going to go anyway, but I even get madder when they call it a Holiday Party instead of a Christmas Party. I get not everyone a Christian but get over yourself. If they had a great party for Buddha, I would go and not even complain

 

[RedAngie]

I'm "expected" to go to the corporate-wide holiday party, but I also WANT to go. No plus ones are invited. It usually starts mid-afternoon and goes until early evening. It's held in a hotel ballroom or catering facility.

Attendance at my department party is pretty much required. It starts as a staff meeting around noon and then finishes by 4pm or so. This is held in an onsite conference room.

Then there is a district party which is totally optional. Plus ones are invited. I go some years, but DH has never accompanied me.

We also have a "fun day" during the summer. Baseball game, theme park, or other recreational facility. While attendance is not mandatory, it's considered a working day, so you either have to work or take a vacation/PTO day if you choose not at attend.

 

[Skywalker]

Do you go to your work's Holiday party? Do you bring a plus one? If you go, do you go because you WANT to or because you feel OBLIGATED to go?

Yes. Yes. OBLIGATED.

 

[disneychrista]

Not that I going to go anyway, but I even get madder when they call it a Holiday Party instead of a Christmas Party. I get not everyone a Christian but get over yourself. If they had a great party for Buddha, I would go and not even complain

It doesn't bother me that they call it a Holiday party or Christmas Party or December Celebration. It all means a evening of awkward conversation and free food. Unfortunately while wine (not sure about beer this year, due to location) is available it is a cash bar, not paid for.

 

[low-key]

I'm "expected" to go to the corporate-wide holiday party,vacation/PTO day if you choose not at attend.

you konw why your expected to be thier, I quote Pirates "we want the redhead "

 

[msjprincess]

I now work at home but when I did work I always went. I worked there for 20 years and had a lot of close friends in the company. My husband and I met at work. Most of our close friends are people we met through work.

 

[Jennasis]

when I worked for a corporation, the holiday party was a BIG shebang. Like spare no expense. We were young and crazy and all of us went, mostly to take advantage of "the man's' money LOL. Big name entertainment. Top shelf bar (I don't drink, but still) and amazing food. Always held at the swankiest places. Black tie.

 

[wilbret]

Christmas parties were a bigger deal back in 'th day. My last place devolved into a department-based luncheon, after being a bash for the whole company.
I personally can't stand "forced attendance events," which this wasn't technically...but if you didn't show up...you didn't go unnoticed.

My current company is a giant, global company with hundreds of offices. There's a potluck or something in the office, but each department head has a luncheon or something similar. I skip the potluck and attend the luncheon, since I am the host...

 

[Skippy918]

We have a department holiday party and it’s pretty fun. It’s after work hours. There’s raffles for prizes and PTO. Our department is like a big family though.