Avoidance at company Christmas party.

[mdtoaz]

Ahh... mandatory corporate fun. At least with my company it is. They shut down the office at lunch time and everyone goes to the hotel ballroom across the street for mediocre food, awful music and a cash bar. I'd rather they take the money that they spend on the party and cheesy door prizes and give us a small bonus, but that's just me. Oh, and if you choose not to go... you have to use personal time.

My solution? I moved across the country and telecommute. I don't get half the day off, but I'm okay with that.

[Black Jack22]

Originally Posted by HookTheBrotherUp

Every year our company has the Christmas party at some hotel ballroom, they are very nice, but I always have mixed feelings about attending. It is the company party, so you get X amount of drink tickets, and everyone attends, too many people. My wife does not drink, so I get double the drinks. Plus it's officially called a Holiday Party, not Christmas Party. What's up with that? If it is just a holiday party, which holiday in December are they celebrating? If not Christmas, hell, why not have it in October?

But I digress...

I hate to be a hypocrite, so I really don't look forward to the party, but I go because my wife also used to work at the same company and has lots of friends there.

The thing I hate is having to act nice, and make small talk with people I sincerely have no connection with, some even that I really don't care for, and yet some who have no regard for ethical, or professional behavior at the office. You know, the crappy boss, the colleague who takes credit for a project that you worked your ass off, or the know-it-all.

I asked my wife to alert me when she saw a colleague of mine, looking back on it, it must have sounded like a threat to her when I told her that if X sits at our table, I'm getting the F out of the place, seriously!

Then there is always the gorgeous, mysterious new woman at the office who decides that the Christmas party is just the right time to get drunk and make a fool of herself and proclaim how they like working with you? Not that I mind the hug and kiss from the women. Funny how those people never attend the next years party!

Now I like attending my wife's company party because it's only their division/group, it's always an intimate group of about 30 people in a sit down dinner at some swank hotel. With the open bar to boot, and very nice gifts for everyone, plus some really nice bonus gifts. Very classy.

So, anyone else experience this?

Be honest with yourself.

Are you not looking forward to it because you have bad gas?

[piperspal]

I read somewhere - probably some woman's magazine - that the only employees who are remembered more than the ones who got smashed at the office party...are the employees who never went to begin with. And I believe it. Even if you don't go for the few co-workers you like or for the fun (?), or the food, or any other part of what makes a great party...go for the opportunity to make a good impression on someone who matters in the company.

As always, IMO

[piperspal]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

After a really good year, I thought a great thing to do would be to have a long company weekend at the beach at a nice, all-inclusive resort. As in take Thursday and Friday off one week in June. Spouses and kids were invited, and I footed the bill for the accommodations, the food, and the booze. We gave all 12 employees three month's notice, made sure there were no conflicts, etc. etc.

What's more, there were no obligations. No meetings, no speeches, no nothing. And, aside from one barbecue one night, no events.

Well, of my 12 employees, nine were perfectly happy to be there. They all brought spouses and kids, and had a great time. My wife and I had a suite that wound up being one long party, and we even provided a babysitter so parents could enjoy a little alone time. Months later, those employees were still talking about what a great time they had.

The other three were a different story. One got hosed and came up to me and complained how I should have paid for her mileage to the beach and back. One brought her smug boyfriend, a newspaper reporter, who felt it was his duty to belittle everybody there and my company, never considering that my company and employees were good enough at our jobs to pay for his very nice four-day weekend (Everybody really grew to hate him, too). The third person just showed up with her husband, and never appeared at any time during the entire event. We knew they were there because we saw them at the other end of the beach. Of course, these were the three youngest people on my staff, so maybe they hadn't learned manners or gratitude yet.

So, 75% of the people there were really appreciative of the effort and expense we took on to do something nice. The other 25% basically showed no gratitude at all.

Four day weekend? All-inclusive? Sun, sand & surf??? I could be part of that 75%, yessiree! Howzabout I hook you up with my resume?

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by piperspal

Four day weekend? All-inclusive? Sun, sand & surf??? I could be part of that 75%, yessiree! Howzabout I hook you up with my resume?

No kidding. That being said, I did have an employee call me two years after she quit and said, "You know, I had no idea what a great boss you were." I really tried to make it a fun place to work. The veterans knew it. It was the kids fresh out of school who just didn't get it.