Christmas Work Parties

[Milktray]

I hate work Christmas parties, hate them!
Not because I'm anti-social but because I'd rather spend my money on a meal that I like with people who I enjoy being with.

Christmas party - Urgh. Always at the local village hotel. With a set 3 course meal, mediocre at best...but Gobby Gaby doesn't give a shit as she announces 'as long as I can get pissed, who gives a shite about the meal?'.
'I do Gaby, I do'...

I'd happily reject. I very quickly say 'I'll let you know' but I know that I'll be forced into it by Shithead Shell. 'come on don't be a bore'.

8 hours later, I'm demented. Anything for a quiet life.

I know I'm paying £40 to either make my excuses on the night 'I can't go, I've got vertigo'....or say, 'I can only stay for the meal'.

Never ends up just being the meal. Before I know it, I'm on the table, spinning my bra around my head. I've made a complete tit of myself and I caught a glimpse of Shithead Shell's vagina. Who doesn't shut the toilet door?!

No...work christmas parties are the worst. I hate them.

 

[pinkmug]

I can't be arsed with any work related socialising. I'm not particularly close with anyone, we've very few in common. I do attend the sort-of-obligatory gatherings just to show up but it's tedious. Seeing colleagues drunk makes me cringe and frankly, I'd rather be doing anything else.

 

[TheSlayer]

Hated them all with a passion after the wife of a collegue many many years ago, decided to attack me verbally at a christmas event because I was vegetarian and she, being a scientist, thought it was pathetic.

It affected no one else but me and I have NEVER made an issue of it..

Not one other collegue stuck up for me, including the owners.

I never spoke to that colleague again until he left 2 years later!

Avoid all company events since or slide off early if obligatory.

 

[Sunflower91]

My party is next week. I’m debating not going/ pulling a sickie. I relapsed with my ED back in March and since I keep getting loads of comments about my body. This week I was in the office and it was busier than usual - several people spoke to me about how I was looking skinny and then followed up with asking if I was okay/ eating and it just felt like shit sandwich compliments. The breaking point was getting cornered by 4 people in a meeting room talking about how I’m smaller every time they see me but I look great. It’s just really unhelpful and it made me feel like absolute shit and like I was getting dogpiled on. I spoke to my boss about it and turns out two of the partners had a meeting about me as well. I get it comes from a place of concern but I wish they’d just ask me if I was okay and leave my body out of it. I’m not ready to have an office full of people know I have an ED and it in no way affects my job performance. I actually feel pure dread at seeing even more people, my anxiety is through the roof.

 

[jackolantern]

Could think of few things I'd rather do. The dentist would be more preferable. Forced socialising with colleagues after work when all I want to do is go home. Noooooooope.

 

[givepeasachance]

I haven't joined in Secret Santa for a few years now due to the absolute shite I have received in the past! Don't need any more tat in my life.

We have a team meal, which is a massive effort, and utterly exhausting. I'm hugely uncomfortable in groups, and don't enjoy it but made a pact with myself that it's the one thing I make myself do.

There's also an evening do which I avoid - there is so much gossip the morning after, ripping people to shreds for what they were wearing, who they were talking to, how they were behaving etc, even if it was harmless. I wouldn't feel comfortable going, feeling that everything I did or said was being noted.

I don't do Christmas cards either.

Fully aware that I come across as a miserable sod, but the older I get the less I give a shit.

 

[MrsBsDayOff]

I hate sitting through a dinner with people I couldn't care less about, and trying to pretend at being jolly. Luckily I'm good at being fake.

 

[Milktray]

The meal is usually shit in my experience, just mediocre food served up in mass quantities to a big group, and people still always say its amazing.

Oh it's horrible isn't it? £40+ on a slice of Bernard Matthew turkey roll, a couple of aunt Bessie's and a Christmas pud that never gets eaten. I've never had an amazing one yet.

 

[svdwoodsen]

Do you enjoy them or avoid them at all costs? Have they gone dramatically wrong or just plain boring? I've never encountered one where anyone has been sacked but you always hear all the stories

A few years ago I used to love them, but my team changed, my hours changed and now I just couldn't be arsed. Plus are work doesn't pay for them so it always ends up pricey. And don't get me started at diving the bill at the end of the meal! Absolute carnage where you always feel ripped off

If a workplace insists on holding a mandatory social event, the company should always pay and it should mostly be during or close to work hours. I have no interest in paying money to spend time with a ton of people I barely tolerate in the name of "socializing" and I definitely don't want to do it on my own time. It's criminal that your company doesn't at least pay for dinner and drinks!

I do enjoy smaller get-togethers with select work friends and we are all happy to split the bill in those situations.

 

[MrsBsDayOff]

I don't like my colleagues so hate the Christmas party.
In 15 years since I got a job from uni, I've only ever enjoyed the Christmas party twice I think, that was when I worked with my old colleagues who I liked and am still friends with outside work.
I'm considering skipping this years party. I just couldn't give a toss about socialising after 5pm with people I don't like, and I know I can give a convincing excuse.
I tolerate them in working hours and that's it.

 

[JOHN1967]

I must learn to read more carefully, I thought it was Christmas Work Panties, I am not sure whether I am disappointed or relieved.

 

[Lico]

In the 90's I went to every work do going. It was acceptable to get drunk and have the craic. Now Christmas parties usually come with a warning about how we are representing the company. Id be afraid of making an ass of myself. Plus most of my colleagues are bullies and the place is toxic.
So will avoid.

 

[Interestingbitsnbats]

Omg secret santa I haven't done it for years but in a previous job the manager made everyone join in I always bought the standard chocolates or gift set ,
one year I got a poinsettia plant from the shop we worked in which they would have got discount on then the next year I got 3 bangles the ones you had as a kid the really thin fake metal ones that somebody had probably found in a the back of a drawer somewhere never did it again

The secret santa gift a Co worker got was really inappropriate. She is a very closed of women, single (fiance left her) a very pg lady. Apparently had to open a sex toy at the work Christmas party.

 

[MrsBsDayOff]

I hate them and only go out of necessity.
I have no interest in socialising with work people, especially getting drunk with them.
I have other friends who I'd rather be with

 

[Warpaint]

Do you enjoy them or avoid them at all costs? Have they gone dramatically wrong or just plain boring? I've never encountered one where anyone has been sacked but you always hear all the stories

A few years ago I used to love them, but my team changed, my hours changed and now I just couldn't be arsed. Plus are work doesn't pay for them so it always ends up pricey. And don't get me started at diving the bill at the end of the meal! Absolute carnage where you always feel ripped off

 

[MrsBsDayOff]

The meal is usually shit in my experience, just mediocre food served up in mass quantities to a big group, and people still always say its amazing.

 

[Elle Woods]

I avoid at all costs Where I worked previously I used to love going because it was a massive firm and I had a lot of friends/people my age there, and they really did go all out so it was really good! But where I work now I'm the youngest by about 20 years and I have very little in common with my colleagues tbh. They always do the party on the last working day before our 2 week christmas break so when January comes around I always get my holiday form in early and book the last day off so then I can say either I'm travelling down to see my family, or I've got family coming to stay with me surprised noones cottoned on yet

 

[bcfc999]

Hate them. Moving jobs a couple of weeks before Christmas and trying to figure out how to tell my current colleagues that no, actually, I won't be coming to the Christmas meal anymore because I didn't want to go even when I worked there!

 

[ElektraWintour]

I do agree with the sentiment that your colleagues aren’t your friends but I’ll be the first one to say I am going to my Christmas do this year (& have been previously). I’m cheap and will turn up for a free 3 course meal and a couple of drinks

 

[Rosie glow]

Hate them with a passion luckily I don't have them in my work place anymore a few of them have their own night out which I avoid like the plague.
I used to get dragged along to my husbands Xmas parties god that was tedious it was basically watching a bunch of people I don't know getting twatted and we had to pay for our own meals he's left that job now thank god