Oh, yeah, I’m going. My office party last year kind of sucked, because my best friend (whom I brought along as a date) and I got stuck sitting next to The Most Obnoxious Man Alive. He decided to flirt with her, and she tried to brush him off politely, and when that didn’t work, she did it a little more rudely. And they had practically nothing I could eat (I’m a vegetarian), which sucked.
This year I expect to be better. I’m working with a new company, and I like most all of my coworkers. We’re having a buffet dinner (so I know I’ll be able to find something to eat) at a fancy Mexican restaurant with dancing afterwards, plus we’re getting a full open bar, and my boyfriend is coming.
The holiday party where i work last year was held at a nearby pool hall, and I had no intention of going, since I not only had to work that night, and did not especialy wish to see my coworkers after-hours. I’m like that.
This year it is supposed to be held at a restaurant famous for its turkey dinners and I might think of going. I should probably find out if they have Guinness at the bar.
Well, at the last two companies I worked for, the Holiday parties rocked.
At the last one I went to the company took over a very nice Hotel. You could rent a room cheap compared to the normal prices. The party had 6 different party rooms with different themes. There was the Rock room, the ballroom dancing room, the Regae room etc. Each room had different foods and free drinks. It rocked. (Note, this party had 3 or 4 thousand people) In fact at the end of the night so many people were dancing in the Rock room, which was on the second floor, the floor of the room started to buckle. The hotel shut down that room.
The party rocked because a)there were so many people that you didn’t end up sitting around discussing work b)they had alot of different things going on and c) the company spent a large amount of money on it.
At the same time, I got to meet and talk to a Billionaire at that party which was pretty cool. I mean, how many times do you get to chat with a Billionaire who earned his money? Not often.
My company gives out good door prizes (about a dozen DVD players last year, $50 AMEX Checks, Round Trip Airfare for 2, yadda yadda). And the food is good. We do get paid, and I go.
Absolutely. My officemates are like my second family. We genuinely care about each other. We also try to make our holiday parties fun. I’m on the committee again this year, but even if I weren’t among the organizers, I’d go. I always go, as does my spouse.
No. I go to work to work, not pal around or make friends. Holidays for me are a bit more intimate and deserve better than some perfunctory and sometimes obligatory social congregation under the auspices of a holiday. No amount of trinkets or “wacky” games or door prizes could get me to attend such a function. If you’re going to spend time with me, spend it on my time not on the company’s time.
Plus in my experience once you get shitcanned no one else keeps in contact regardless of tearful promises to that effect. See Leisuretown which covers this aspect.
I work in the IT department of a college, so we don’t have the money for major parties, no hotels, bands, or free booze. When we do have a party, it’s usually on work time with pay, and the best we usually get is chicken or pizza with free soft drinks. Sometimes we do a potluck - lots of good cooks and people who know where to order interesting food to match their ethnicity.
In any case, everybody in the department is invited: permanent or contract staff, temps, co-op students doing a work term, even student lab assistants doing a few hours a week. Almost everybody shows up even for evening events.
Sometimes it goes even further. Once a temp threw a departmental party (potluck, of course) at her place. Then she donated the barbecue! :eek: (She and her husband were getting a new one, but still…) I guess she really liked working with us; most of our temps want to come back!
My co-workers are all a lot of fun, so I have a great time at the office parties. Usually we have dinner at one of the restaurants near the office, lots of drinks, and then break up around midnight into smaller groups to either go home or go out to other bars (or go back to the office to continue working, in some cases).