work Christmas parties.........love em or hate em?

[Sweats]

I had my work Christmas party last weekend and although it was nothing spectacular, it was adequate.........free drinks all night long, fancy food, presents for everyone.

 

The boss made his usual speech again this year about increased profits, bonuses for everyone, everyone working together as a team, blah, blah, blah.

The party was just alright, i guess, nothing real exciting, however, i was telling the guys that years ago when i worked for a different company, the parties used to get so out of control that there would be employees fighting, people puking on the dance floor, cops arresting people, etc........wild stuff, man.

 

work Christmas parties........love em or hate em?

[Just Jack]

In between.  I work for a small company, so the owners will take us to a restaurant and get a private room for an afternoon. Lots of food, free drinks, bonus checks get handed out, but it always ends up being work talk, and polite conversation.  

[TheyCallMeAndy]

As someone who doesn’t drink and has major food allergies, just give us the afternoon off lol

[Sweats]

40 minutes ago, Just Jack said:

In between.  I work for a small company, so the owners will take us to a restaurant and get a private room for an afternoon. Lots of food, free drinks, bonus checks get handed out, but it always ends up being work talk, and polite conversation.  

 

 

 

Yeah, the Christmas party this year was all work talk and i hated it.

I don't mind talking about work when i'm at work, but on my own personal time, i don't want to hear it, but on the other hand, is a work Christmas party actual work or is it actually personal time?........i'm going to have to think about this one.

[LeviF]

The only work Christmas parties I ever went to were the ones my unit in children's services had. Eight of us, plus any spouses that wanted to subject themselves to the particular brand of humor CPS investigators tend to exhibit among themselves when inebriated. Supervisor paid for everything. I drank a lot more back then so any chance at free booze I jumped at. We pooled our money and bought the supervisor scratchers for Christmas and we'd make a game of trying to pay the tab with them. 2/3 years he was successful in covering the whole tab - typically low four figures - with the scratch-off winnings.

[Another Fan]

Depends on my mood that day.

 

Too many times it just B.S.   Conversations go in one ear and out the other.  But there’s times it can be fun.  

[DD4Bills]

Not a big fan of any fake/forced work camaraderie events.

[BillsPride12]

I rarely go to them 

[US Egg]

Ours were ceased due to safety concerns.

[Draconator]

Last year, which turned out to be my last Christmas party at Yahoo, I made $100. Of course, I played music for 3 hours. It was cool having my band play.

[PastaJoe]

We had ours at work. Everyone would bring in food and we’d walk around to different departments to sample everyone’s offerings. I’d let us spend time talking to people we didn’t interact with daily. It went on all day long. We also had a contest for the best decorated cube. 

[Just Jack]

13 minutes ago, PastaJoe said:

We had ours at work. Everyone would bring in food and we’d walk around to different departments to sample everyone’s offerings. I’d let us spend time talking to people we didn’t interact with daily. It went on all day long. We also had a contest for the best decorated cube. 

 

Where my sister and brother used to work, the different departments would decorate and have a contest.  Some departments went all out, others would just slap up some lights and paper snowflakes and call it Winter Wonderland.  

[Johnnycage46]

I quit drinking about 4 years ago...when I DID drink, I loved the work christmas party (open bar, hotel room, etc.)...but always had those thoughts the next day of (wait, was I talking to my boss last night??? Did I say anything stupid???).

 

Now that I don't drink, I typically don't even go to the work party as it's kind of boring lol.

[Augie]

 

The wife was kind enough to invite me to her office party, and I was wise enough to politely decline. Last year we had about 50 people from her office at our house, and I saw all I need to know. 

 

.

1 minute ago, Johnnycage46 said:

I quit drinking about 4 years ago...when I DID drink, I loved the work christmas party (open bar, hotel room, etc.)...but always had those thoughts the next day of (wait, was I talking to my boss last night??? Did I say anything stupid???).

 

Now that I don't drink, I typically don't even go to the work party as it's kind of boring lol.

 

I used to have a buddy at the bank I’d see outside of work. He had a big time job and was VERY bright, but when he got some alcohol in him anything might happen. He went into the restroom at the Christmas party one year, and for some unknown reason punched out a (soon-to-be ex) co-worker, breaking his nose. It wasn’t the first time. He started a brawl at a Tampa Bay Bucs game because he thought someone was hitting on MY wife. She said he was a harmless drunk kid (with a purple bra on his head and no shirt in December). Rob couldn’t restrain himself and rows of people started cascading down. He said he was doing me a favor. I said I don’t ever need that kind of favor. 

 

I ran into his ex-wife years later and she told me he was living with a girl half his age and there were domestic violence charges filed. Some people just should not drink. He’s really a good guy, but something terrible happens when alcohol is added. Good for you for taking that element out of your life if you felt that was best. You never have to wonder if you said or did anything stupid. 

[teef]

i think ours is looked forward to every year and is pretty standard.  i take the office out to dinner, along with their spouses. they choose where so we switch it up yearly.   i think i'm taking 14-16 people out this weekend.  dinner, drink and i hand out bonuses.  the staff always get something nice for me as well.  Most of us have know each other a very long time, so there's no pressure with random small talk unless you're the new boyfriend or employee.  i enjoy doing it for everyone, but it's getting very expensive.

Edited 10 hours ago by teef

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

52 minutes ago, teef said:

i think ours is looked forward to every year and is pretty standard.  i take the office out to dinner, along with their spouses. they choose where so we switch it up yearly.   i think i'm taking 14-16 people out this weekend.  dinner, drink and i hand out bonuses.  the staff always get something nice for me as well.  Most of us have know each other a very long time, so there's no pressure with random small talk unless you're the new boyfriend or employee.  i enjoy doing it for everyone, but it's getting very expensive.

Next year, gift certificates for Wendy's, and:

I think I have a future as a holiday gift consultant. 

[HOUSE]

Did somebody say something about free drinks ?

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

3 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

Did somebody say something about free drinks ?

There you are!

[Sweats]

Here's my thing, i would never hang out with these people outside of work so i really don't want to spend my time with them at a work party.

 

Case in point.......

When my wife and i were leaving the party, we had a few drinks in us and said goodbye to everyone, but in the morning i realized that i didn't say goodbye to our secretary, Julie....... so because it was the weekend and i don't have her phone number, i sent her an email to explain and apologize......i know she read it on the following Monday morning and now she won't talk to me at all, just ignores me. She says hi and bye to everyone in the office each day, but me.

 

Like, come on.........well forget you, Julie.......and Larry (our office Ravens fan) can go to hell too.

[Another Fan]

6 minutes ago, Sweats said:

Here's my thing, i would never hang out with these people outside of work so i really don't want to spend my time with them at a work party.

 

Case in point.......

When my wife and i were leaving the party, we had a few drinks in us and said goodbye to everyone, but in the morning i realized that i didn't say goodbye to our secretary, Julie....... so because it was the weekend and i don't have her phone number, i sent her an email to explain and apologize......i know she read it on the following Monday morning and now she won't talk to me at all, just ignores me. She says hi and bye to everyone in the office each day, but me.

 

Like, come on.........well forget you, Julie.......and Larry (our office Ravens fan) can go to hell too.

That person seems excessively petty