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Go. Don't go. Do what you want. This is not a major life decision.
Exactly...no big deal either way. At my current company - I like a lot of my co-workers and socialize with some of them on occasion, both at company-sponsored events and outside of the office.
At a previous company, I only ever attended one office-sponsored party in the nearly 6 years I was there.
We have an agency wide pot luck luncheon Thursday. I'm not going. I haven't gone in years. There's also a white elephant exchange which can be kind of fun. I'd much rather stay in my office and get my work done. Then I can take time off from work to spend with people I want to be with.
Tuesday is our department Christmas lunch. We go out to eat and exchange gifts. I will go to that since there will only be about 10 people there and I know them all quite well.
I know what you mean about being single at social events with co-workers. It's awkward and no fun. We've had a few here that were employee & significant other. I tend to be a social person when I want to be. But I really don't like interacting on a social level with the people/person who have/has a hand in determining my ongoing employment. Makes me uncomfortable.
I try to go most of the time, but if I really don't feel like it I don't worry or feel bad about not going.
Another thing that's easy to do where I work (because there's so many people at events) is to show up just for a half hour or so, make the rounds to make sure I've been seen and then take off. There's so many people around that nobody thinks about it if they don't see you again after that. And if anyone asks later you can just say you had to run but you didn't want to skip it entirely so you dropped in to say hi to everyone. Works like a charm as long as you don't do it too often.
my office party is tomorrow night....yeah, on a wednesday
i just said i have plans. end of story
I feel ya, I hate this!
How much fun can you actually have when you have to be at work the next day? I feel like when that's the case I can't actually relax, I just mostly want to go home so I can take care of things and get to bed. Booo on mid-week "parties".
Five co-workers either asked me if I was attending or why I didn't attend. Of those five, two genuinely listened to my answer and seemed to accept my response. Three didn't like my response and continued on with their questioning & judgement. I told them I wanted to get my work done so I could take time off the last week of December. It was the polite way to say, "I'd much rather spend my spare time with my loved ones, not you." I just don't feel connected to ALL of my co-workers--some, yes...ALL, no. I'm attending my department Christmas party Tuesday afternoon.
Tis the season for office Christmas party (or "holiday party" as Human Resources gurus would want us to say to be more inclusive). I know some conventional wisdom says that we must go to the office party or else we aren't seen as a "team player". My question is does that apply to all situations or is it saying that we must go to each and every one or can pick and choose and go to most but miss one or two?
The office party in my particular situation may be different than most in that it isn't the one that is officially established by upper management of the organization (this is a luncheon during working hours for just employees- no alcohol or guests as it's during lunch hours).
The party in question is a small gathering at a country club for the particular division of the organization (and I understand we may have to go "Dutch treat" and pay for our own meal and drinks?). While I get along fairly well with most people there, I just am not feeling a fondness for this particular event. To begin with, we are having the holiday luncheon, we just had a luncheon for Thanksgiving, and not long before that had an after hours work party for some retiring coworkers. It was okay, and these had their pleasant moments, but yet another evening party? It's just getting to be an overkill. By the way, this wasn't even proposed by the organization's management, nor is it any sort of longstanding tradition...it was proposed by a coworker who belongs to a particular country club who initiated it and said "Hey, wouldn't it be great if we had yet another Christmas party"; the boss seems to like the idea, though.
I suppose I have my reservations about it for a number of reasons. While I enjoy socializing with some of my coworkers in moderation, I'm just getting a little fatigued over having so many of these close together, and I'd just rather be doing something else. Also, people seem to be encouraged to bring a guest (meaning "significant other"), so as a single person who's currently not in a relationship, it can be awkward (depending on my mood) going to all of these "couples parties" and I don't particularly want to figure out who I could bring as a casual acquaintance to this, as trying to keep someone I don't know very well entertained all while keeping a certain professional decorum with bosses and coworkers seems kind of draining.
Not to mention the coworkers who are known to drink too much. A beer or two seems fine but there's one person in particular (who I actually get along with pretty well) who has kind of a reputation for drinking too much at these things. Few sights are as embarrassing as seeing someone in his 50's (it's bad enough seeing this in someone in his early 20's before he wises up a bit) make a total ass of himself by having too much to drink in front of his coworkers and boss. I never have understood why someone thinks it's appropriate to do that in front of people they work with in a professional environment (someone should have a separate group of friends to let loose with if that's what they like to do). I get along pretty well with everyone, so I don't mean to come across as grumpy and anti-social. I'm usually a little more carefree and not not this cynical, so sorry for the vent. But I'm just not feeling warm and fuzzy over going to this one. Do I "have" to go?
No. If you really think you won't have a good time, don't go. Everybody is DIFFERENT and likes different things. Me, I'm a sucker for all these things. I love to go. I'll even go to them when I no longer work at the place! I even have group luncheons a couple of times a year with several former coworkers and my boss from my last company AND I also go to an annual huge reunion with former coworkers from a much beloved workplace that was acquired by a larger company.
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