Does your office do any type of official holiday party or event? Is it during work hours? I always see these fancy Christmas work parties in TV shows/movies and always wonder how common those are. And unless Hollywood is lying to me, people tend to get drunk and embarrass themselves
Our company is way too big so we’ve never had a party. Individual groups will do potlucks or group lunches, but we have to pay our own way.
Every place I've ever worked does some sort of christmas party. Most have been during the work day-- like a long lunch, then folks go home when it's done.
My current job celebrates with a party at the founder's home in January (there are only about 15 people). It's at night, with a nice sit down dinner, but everyone goes straight from work. No spouses, no dressing up. We do a white elephant gift exchange, where you are supposed to bring something that you have around your house already (they explicitly say not to buy anything new).
My husband's work generally does a company outing in the summer in lieu of something at christmas. It is on a weekend, and families are invited.
Post by tripleshot on Dec 10, 2018 10:15:39 GMT -5
Yes, it’s on a Saturday night. I never go. They spend like $60 a person and I think it’s ridiculous. Our department of 8 does a white elephant exchange and lunch during the workday.
DH's company does a big work party, usually at a really nice venue on a Saturday. And yes, people get drunk, but rarely embarassed. The company pays for uber/lyft both ways. DH's was this weekend - he wore a tux, I wore a gown. It's fun to have an excuse to dress up.
My old company used to do a huge holiday party as well - we used to skip DH's to go to mine, because it was better, but the new company doesn't. I'm not supset about the fact. The new company provides $25/per person to go out to lunch. I'd prefer not having that too. We also used to do an in office pizza + dessert potluck on a Wednesday night and have employees kids come to decorate the Christmas tree in the branch, but that is no more, starting this year.
Post by simpsongal on Dec 10, 2018 11:01:33 GMT -5
Yup., we do one during office hours that employees pay for b/c we're feds (not allowed to spend money on food & drink). This year's is $15, it's from 10am-noon tomorrow.
Yes - ours was last week. We left work around 1pm and went to a local restaurant where we had a semi-private back room. Free alcohol for the first hour, and after that we could purchase drinks on our own. We got family-style appetizers, a choice between four plated meals, a small dessert, and free soft drinks. Everyone got a ticket to put into one of five raffle baskets - we played two games and gift cards and lotto tickets were given to the winners. We also had a couple more raffles where prizes ranged from small Amazon gift cards to large electronics prizes. We also did a 50/50 to benefit a recently deceased coworker's child's education fund (winner gave her share to the child as well).
I've worked at this company for six years and since I've been here our parties have either included a buffet lunch or heavy apps at some local restaurant. Usually they provide a couple drink tickets then it's cash bar. Prizes have ranged from small gift cards to raffle baskets to iPads and $200 gift cards. Lotto tix/small gift cards as prizes for games. Ugly sweater contest last year with a $100 Amazon gc prize.
I've never seen anyone get ridiculous while I've been working here, but people who've been here longer than me said 10-15 years ago it was a really elaborate dinner at a hotel, open bar all night, and there were a few nutty stories.
Post by minionkevin on Dec 10, 2018 11:08:43 GMT -5
My company has ~700 people spread up and down the east coast. We have a black tie party at a huge resort for employees + spouses/SO, that between cocktail hour, dinner, dancing and after party is 9 hours long. The company pays for the party and hotel rooms for the night of the party. We can get discounted rates for the nights before/after the party as well. My division is also giving a $100 travel stipend in lieu of providing transportation to/from the event (something they have done in the past). It is this coming Saturday night and I can’t wait (it’s my first year with the company and everyone has been talking about it since March).
My old company always had a big, fancy party every year usually held at a hotel. They would alternate between formal/semi formal dress and casual themes. Lots of food, booze and they would give away raffle prizes-good stuff. Individual departments would usually have their own parties/white elephant gift exchange during the work day.
Now I work for a really small company and they took us out for a nice dinner last week on a weeknight. DH does the same for his office-always at a steakhouse usually.
My current job, I have no idea what other people do. I have not been invited to anything, but I don't really work with anyone else so it's possible there are departmental activities that others get invited to. I don't even think I work within a department (I guess technically I must, but I've never met anyone in it) so I am not aware of anything at all. I'm pretty disconnected from other people, so thinking about this actually makes me feel sad. I wish there was something social to look forward to.
My last job was with a state university, so there was no company party. However, the department organized a secret santa gift exchanged and ordered in lunch. You had to pay for it yourself, which was kind of lame, but being state government it made sense. It was during the workday, and I always enjoyed it.
My company BEFORE that always threw a holiday party. It was during the workday and in the last few years included a couple of drink tickets. It was kind of nice, though not TONS of fun or anything, but it gave you time away from your desk and you didn't have to take time out of your weekend/evening to attend. When I worked in HR there, the HR director also hosted a fancier party at her house that was catered and included alcohol. That was a lot of fun because the people who worked in that department were super fun, and it was not the whole company so you actually got to talk with people you liked.
Post by keweenawlove on Dec 10, 2018 13:35:51 GMT -5
My H's company does a nice one. There's only 2 drink tickets per person though so people stay pretty tame.
My hospital just does an employee lunch one day. One of the surgeons throws a party in January at his house which our group is invited too. There's always good food and wine there.
H's office does a pretty big party in a private room at a restaurant downtown. It's a cocktail dinner with open bar, that turns into a dance party with desserts later. Most people are able to hold their alcohol and not embarrass themselves. Apparently that happens at the after-party - which is usually those that don't have to go back home to kids. There was a new employee who's wife got hammered last year and puked on the dance floor. He got some crap around the office about it - but not too bad. She was much more reserved with the alcohol this year.
My work does a lunch during office hours. The company does buy gifts. Usually Land's End clothes with the company logo, some sort of novelty item (camping chair, blanket, etc), and cash. This year we're getting a nice jacket, long sleeve shirt, and hat. Apparently we'll also have a potluck on top of that the week before Christmas. People usually bring more snaky stuff than lunch stuff that will last for a few days.
Yes. Usually on a Thursday night in December. It’s a cocktail-attire party with drinks, appetizers, music, photobooths, etc. It’s employee only and people tend to get pretty drunk. Ubers home are provided.
Post by capscapscaps on Dec 10, 2018 15:06:26 GMT -5
Our offices in NYC have holiday parties, as do all of our other offices in North America. We don't, and it's a bit of a sore point for folks here. There used to be a big party before my time at my office, but the last president took over and it went away.
Our particular department always does a happy hour at 2:30 on the last Thursday before the holiday week (most people are off that Friday) and the VP pays for all the appetizers and up to a few hundred dollars worth of drinks. Sometimes we do a pot luck too.
Post by farmvillelover on Dec 10, 2018 15:09:21 GMT -5
We are a small firm so only 10 people came to dinner on Saturday night out of town (San Diego - we came from OC). The firm pays for 2 hotel nights in a hotel we all agree on, all meals and drinks all weekend are charged to the hotel/firm, and we get a few hundred dollars ($500) in spending cash for incidentals. They pay for babysitters for the weekend too, but my parents flew in and watched my kids. We did dinner at a nice restaurant on Saturday!
Post by mccallister84 on Dec 10, 2018 15:09:54 GMT -5
When I taught it was always a holiday happy hour. Sometimes appetizers would be provided out of the social committee budget (faculty funded through dues). Alcohol was always self pay. Obviously outside of school hours. At my last school people would get drunk. At my other schools it was way more low key.
Yes we have a holiday luncheon somewhere away from the office and then are released after. The problem is people generally don't plan in advance enough and then it's $$$, so everyone complains.
Mine doesn't, though we'll often put one together on our own because we like to get together with our families & kids. It's generally potluck style at someone's house.
Husband has a yearly budget to spend on employees for team building. They usually plan to do one thing for employees only during the year, and the rest of the budget goes to a holiday party. His previous bosses would take everyone out to dinner like at Old Spaghetti Factory or something. This was his first year to plan and throw it, so an employee offered up her penthouse party room in her apartment complex for no charge and they had food catered and drinks brought in.
I used to work in public accounting during the dot com boom (which makes me sound really old) and the first year the holiday party was amazing - big venue with live bands, free flowing drinks, many different food options, and they even gave everyone a taxi voucher (before uber - now I'm feeling extra old!). The next year was after Enron and Arthur Andersen collapsed - the holiday party was literally in a conference room with a bowl of chips and canned soda. Whomp whomp.
Post by bohemianmango on Dec 10, 2018 19:45:28 GMT -5
The companies I’ve worked for have varied - really low-key but festive parties to really crazy ones.
Hollywood doesn’t always lie. The 2 craziest ones involved way too much alcohol and: - my husband and I getting hit on and propositioned by my coworker’s husband - raunchy photo booth pics - party moving to a hotel room and coworker telling me to join her in the tub - coworkers in a hot tub (with and without swimsuits) - coworker kissing other coworker’s husband - coworker getting fired
There are many more stories I can’t recall right now. The first workday back were always filled with so much awkwardness.
Both my firm and DH’s company have them. Mine is in January, though. We moved it a few years ago because it was just too much in December and I like it so much better. It is apps, open bar, full dinner and a night in a hotel, SOs included. We are a small-ish firm and it is generally a very nice time. We do a Secret Santa Exchange in the office and have a happy hour the Friday before Christmas as well, this is when holiday bonuses get handed out to everyone other than partners.
DH works for a much larger company, his location is close to 500 eomployees, so his party is a bit more low-key. Open bar got $$$$$ and people got out of control, so it is cash bar now, plus apps and a stations dinner. This was actually this past Saturday night and we had fun. We actually knew the bartender at the venue, so we didn’t pay for our drinks, just a nice tip, so that was a bonus, LOL. No prizes or holiday bonuses at DH’s company, though. He usually gets a few small gifts from his bosses and his direct reports, though.
My office doesn't do any type of party. Myself and my manager usually buy small gifts for the other four co-workers but that is it.
DH's company hosts a Christmas party the first Saturday of December with open bar, prime rib buffet dinner, door prizes, awards, dancing, and an overnight stay in the hotel. Since it is a trucking company they figure it is cheaper in the long run to pay for the hotel rooms than risk losing drivers to a DWI.
My dept. does a holiday lunch for 2 hours during the day in a conference room at the office. In the past managers have provided the meats (ham, turkey). Our "employees committee" that we pay $15/year to join provided some sides, and there was a dessert baking contest open to everyone with a small gift card prize. This year someone paid for everything (maybe the managers? I'm not sure.). They held an Ugly/Festive holiday sweater competition and a trivia contest. I didn't go as I had vacation scheduled but heard it was nice.
Post by sillygoosegirl on Dec 10, 2018 23:54:42 GMT -5
We used to do fancy work holiday parties, which I actually rather liked, but with almost 50% of our staff remote in other states, it's not very inclusive. The last couple years the company rented a big movie theater for Star Wars on opening weekend and had pizza and booze. Remote employees got gift cards to use at local theaters. This didn't really work as well. This will be the first year without a holiday party. I'm slightly sad about it--I've been with the company for almost 6 years and have lots of work friends now--although it also seems like the right move.
They're apparently planning some sort of summer event instead, during the one week per year that everyone is on site for All Staff.
Ours was a lunch/afternoon party on a weekday. This year it was at a comedy club (and was a tad awkward). Last year it was at a fun restaurant. The year before it was bowling. There are just under 200 of us. Then each department usually plans a team lunch too.
Our division had their party yesterday. It’s during office hours. We do NOT get to leave after wards. Our CIO pays for the main dish (lasagna) and the rest is potluck. No alcohol.
Needless to say - i took yesterday off so that i could avoid the party.