We have no work related festivity in the offing. I’m not sure if that’s worse than the OP cos they’re too cheap to do anything, or better, because you’re not forced to turn up to something crap because of office politics…
Count me as another one whose employer gives f*** all. There’s even a specific tax break in the U.K. for companies to do it.
So we roll our own. This year, we’re going to a curry house.
We generally do two holiday things.
The school-sponsored party is normally a buffet in the school cafeteria. No alcohol at all. They tried to do it as a pot-luck a few years ago, to save money, but everyone hated that idea, so now all the food is provided and there are fewer door prizes. There are several bad things about it:
-
It’s usually a Friday afternoon. Since faculty normally have Friday afternoon off, it means choosing between free food at work, or taking off at noon as usual.
-
No family is invited or welcome. They have it in the afternoon specifically so that it’s more of a luncheon than a dinner, during work hours, and there’s barely enough room in the cafeteria for the faculty and staff. In fact, there are so many people that there’s no room to get up and walk around, and it’s too noisy to have any conversation.
-
The food is prepared by the culinary faculty. A large part of the school is a culinary school, and again, the Powers That Be felt that this was another good way to save money. However, it means that some of the faculty actually have to work for the party, rather than eat with the rest. (Students actually do most of the prep, but they need supervision.)
-
The door prizes are really cheesy. Most of us would rather have a catered meal off campus than have door prizes, in the long run.
We (the non-culinary faculty) generally have our own party sometime during finals week. It’s a pot-luck during lunch time in the faculty center, with more fun and food than the other party, and there’s usually so much food that even the evening faculty can enjoy it.
I just started my job last week so I have no clue what the party will be like, other than the time, place and menu (I had to pick the menu). Shouldn’t be too bad as we’re a small office so there won’t be more than 40 people there.
Much easier to plan this party than when I had to plan one for a couple of hundred people on a very strict budget (like $20/per person)
We just all go to the boss’s house and eat all her baked goodies. (She is a wonderful baker who loves baking…of course I gain five pounds just looking at the baked goods!) We don’t really do anything but sit around and talk, but it works. Apparently we are budgeted for a swanky sort of party, but by doing it this way, she can give us the leftover money as a Christmas gift card.
I quite prefer it this way, and the only big downside is that the boss lives in BFE.
I personally would rather have a raise or a nice bonus than any shindig.
We normally have four different Christmas parties. The big one is the branch party, which is a fancy (and expensive) Friday evening do at a local hotel or similar venue. There are about 500 people in the branch (down about 300 from last year due to reorganization), but most of the people who attend are management or wanna-be management looking to network. I’ve never bothered to attend, but apparently it’s a big shmooze-fest with random interesting moments when someone has had too much to drink.
We also have division party, organized by a volunteer employee committee. This is a buffet-style do at a church hall or similar, with a DJ, door prizes, etc. Cash bar, but usually wine provided with the meal. It starts at noon and continues until the last die-hards decide to quit sometime in the evening. The committee runs fund-raising events so that the ticket cost is quite reasonable. Our division has about 150 people, most of whom will attend, including me, as this is usually good food and a fun time.
We will also have a directorate party, with about 50 people. This year it is a buffet lunch followed by pool (they did this last year and it was quite popular, so decided to do it again). I probably won’t stay for the pool, even though we are supposed to go back to the office and work if we opt out. Riiiiiight 
.
Finally, there will be a unit lunch, with only about 20 people. This is always good, as we are located in one of the main restaurant districts. This lasts about an hour or two, then back to work.
As we are a government department, management pays for none of this (the media would have a field day - government employees having fun on the taxpayer’s dollar! :eek: ). On the other hand, we do get the time off for the ones held during working hours :rolleyes: .
The last working day before Christmas is traditionally an informal party day. People generally don’t work too hard, and things slow down towards 11:00 as everyone starts to socialize while waiting for the Deputy Minister to announce that everyone can go home for the rest of the day. (This is traditional, but unofficial, and there is no set time for the announcement - I’ve been told as early as 11:00 and as late as 3:00.) Plus, of course, Boxing Day (Dec 26th) is a Canadian bank holiday, so no work on that day either! Also, there is often a bring your kids event with drinks and snacks for the kids, and someone acting as Santa to pass out small gifts provided by the parents ahead of time, but this year it’s a school day for most kids, so no Santa.
Of course, as I’ve been doing for the last 15 years or so, I’ll take the two weeks before Christmas and the period between Christmas and New Year’s Day as vacation time. This is when I finish up my shopping and help get the house ready for Christmas.
Ditto.
We have moved from Colorado to Florida. There are two parties, one in Jacksonville, the other in Tallahasee, the first one black tie optional, the other casual.
We are 50-somethings and over the years have seen the holiday party season have its ups and downs. Elegant understatement in the late 70’s, bling in the 80’s.
The last few years we never knew whether it would be cash bar and crappy appetizers or a string trio and roast beef with Yorkshire pudding.
My preschool holiday parties were always predictably giggly affairs with the white wine flowing as fast as the gossip. I boycotted the last few, but will rather miss it this year. <sniff>
I’m not sure what holiday festivities they have planned at work, but since I tend to be busy (on purpose, of course) during the monthly birthday parties they throw, I doubt I’ll be inclined to attend a holiday party. I’m sure the gatherings are friendly, but I don’t care to socialize with my co-workers; I’d much rather they just give us time off so we can head home early.
Now that I work from home, my christmas party consists of me sitting in my underwear, drinking wine and chatting with you guys. Deck the freekin’ halls. I’ll let you know when it starts.
My workplace throws fairly generous xmas parties that are free to employees ($10 for guests). I’m not going this year, though. I went for the past two and although the food and atmosphere was quite nice, I really don’t want to spend another evening witnessing my asshole boss sloppily kiss the ass of the Director to try to get brownie points. That, and the fact that several otherwise ok co-workers turn into colossally annoying cumrags when drunk.
Two years ago at the only Christmas “party” my office ever held…we all went to a crappy bar/pool hall and the boss gave us an open tab up to $200 total.
By the time I got there (about a hour after it started) the office drunks had consumed almost all of the tab with shots and drinks.
My sisters both work for companies that host formal sit down dinners.
I am always jealous.
Now, see, we could plan a Doper Christmas party! Imagine, we set a date and time and all of us sit around in our underwear, drinking and posting. Oh, wait, we already do that don’t we? 
Well, if it makes you feel any better, for Christmas my company planned layoffs. I’d rather pay 10 bucks to stand in a tent for the holidays if I had the option, even though as far as holiday parties go that one sucks.
This year, my band has been hired to play for one of our office parties. I’m looking forward to that. I’m going to have to try very hard not to get to drunk.
I’ve been informed by the ladies of the “activities committee” that I’m expected to lead the group in holiday songs at the other office party. I’m thinking about calling in sick that day.
(yes, two divisions hence two parties)
I usually don’t go to office parties but I will if they pay me.
We got an email today informing us that if we don’t buy our tickets by Weds, the price goes up to $20/person to stand in a heated tent in the parking lot. I was accosted by a member of the Rec committee yesterday about buying my ticket. I told her it was my anniversary that day (which it is) and I had other plans. Plans that don’t involve a tent or a parking lot.
We’ve also got the command’s pot luck which involves tables of food in the hallway and places to eat in the conference room. When you bring your contribution, they give you a ticket that entitles you to eat. Somehow, hundreds of people in line for a pot luck buffet doesn’t appeal to me either, so I shall grinch out of that one, too. Then there’s the Division party at an on-base facility where we’re supposed to pay $6 and bring beverages as our contribution. But it’s scheduled to run past my quitting time, so I shan’t participate in that one either.
Ho ho freakin’ ho… :rolleyes:
Just found out FCD’s company thing is Dec 10, but he didn’t tell me the details like where and when and how gussied up I have to get. They don’t pick up the tab either - it’ll be $20 for the two of us. Who knows - maybe it’ll be a fun time.