does your workplace do a holiday party?

[sarahsays]

I work in academia.

My College's holiday party is today (4-6) so partially during work hours. The Dean's office pays the entire cost for food and one drink per person after that there is a cash bar.

The president hosts a party for the whole university, which is in a couple of weeks. This party is entirely during work hours.

[blondemoment123]

We have a company wide pot luck then we’re dismissed early.

We also have the formal party where your spouse is invited.

[bronxgirl]

Dec 10, 2018 15:09:21 GMT -5 farmvillelover said:

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!

Holy crap, this is fucking amazing! I'm so jealous.

We have an afternoon tea, but I can't go anymore because of my work schedule.

[spindle92]

yeah, so my friend who is over in London for her husband's holiday party, today she was informed that they are going to see Hamilton this week, again on the company dime.

Unbelievable.

He travels an insane amount for this company and brings in tons of revenue but damn, they are treating them like royalty.

[erbear]

I'm a teacher. We do a party at the boss's house. It's beer, food, families. It's fun. 

my DH is a lawyer. His is in the conference room, at 5, and he hates it.

[hbomdiggity]

my firm gives each office a certain amount of money for a holiday party. our office does a Friday happy hour w spouses. apparently it used to be much swankier, but budgets were slashed years ago. my understanding is that other offices just go to lunch, no spouses.

My H has worked for a few different types of companies and has never had any sort of holiday party.

[tcu2003]

My company’s holiday party in the January. In the past, it’s been a dressier (ie cocktail dresses and suits) affair with dinner and a bar (usually everyone gets 2-3 drink tickets, but you can always find someone with extras). Then they started alternating with a dressier event one year, low key the next. Last year was low key at Main Event (they rented out the entire venue), and they just announced today they’re doing the same thing again next month. The past couple of years it’s been a completely open bar, soy assumption is that’ll be the same for the next one as well. The event is open to employees and a guest, and it is on a Saturday night.


Each team also does a holiday social or outing of some sort, usually during work hours. My team went out to lunch, came back and then a white elephant gift exchange with adult beverages and snacks. My DH works for the same company, and his team is doing ax throwing - that is pretty popular this year as I know several teams doing that one.

[agnes]

Dec 10, 2018 11:01:33 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

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.

this, but change fed to local government and shift the time from 11 to 1.

When I worked at dealerships there was always a lunch on the showroom floor. The sales and service people always got a special trips to like Vegas and then the office would usually get diddly-quat.

[Deleted]

My company has over 30K employees world wide, so they don't do a company party, but the individual business groups do have parties. Nothing fancy though. It is during work hours and on the company's dime. It's open bar and appetizers. We also do a Potluck party in the office, but that is not company sponsored.

[ellipses84]

Every office of my company does their own holiday party. It’s usually on a Saturday evening and cocktail attire. Most have a sit down dinner and a band or DJ with dance floor. The venues always change and one year it was at a fancy place and black tie dress code. Drink offerings are limited to a couple wines/beers/cocktails but the quantity is unlimited and they pay for our ride home. My industry and company tend to drink a lot of alcohol and there are some stories...
DH’s party this year is black tie but it’s in January. Prior to these companies, most of our other jobs only had a lunch time or happy hour party for employees only.

[Susie]

We do an evening cocktail party that in various years has been at a country club, restaurant private room, or hotel.  SOs typically attend.  

There have been some drinking-related incidents in years past (this was my 12th or 13th holiday party with the firm), but nothing serious enough to change our plans.  This year I was totally sober (pregnant) and stayed to the end, so I can verify that everyone behaved like adults, lol.

[ESF]

My office does not because of the 11 of us, only five are local.

My H's is tonight. It's a cocktail party, and people can bring spouses. It's about a staff of 20 or so. One of the VPs informed people yesterday that her children will be attending because they want to participate in the White Elephant exchange. They are 8 and 13. What is wrong with people?

[kadams767]

Dec 12, 2018 11:58:18 GMT -5 ESF said:

My office does not because of the 11 of us, only five are local.

My H's is tonight. It's a cocktail party, and people can bring spouses. It's about a staff of 20 or so. One of the VPs informed people yesterday that her children will be attending because they want to participate in the White Elephant exchange. They are 8 and 13. What is wrong with people?

Eek!  This would be so inappropriate based on my office's prior White Elephant exchanges.  Really, really awkward.

[ESF]

Dec 12, 2018 15:28:06 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

Dec 12, 2018 11:58:18 GMT -5 ESF said:

My office does not because of the 11 of us, only five are local.

My H's is tonight. It's a cocktail party, and people can bring spouses. It's about a staff of 20 or so. One of the VPs informed people yesterday that her children will be attending because they want to participate in the White Elephant exchange. They are 8 and 13. What is wrong with people?

Eek!  This would be so inappropriate based on my office's prior White Elephant exchanges.  Really, really awkward.

Seriously.  H had already bought his gift (a set of Bailey's miniatures) so that's going into the pile. Should be super weird. 

[insominac]

We go out to lunch as a group on the company’s dime.

[janegold]

Yes, but it's employees only which for some reason just makes me not very excited to go. It's always really great (amazing food, decorations, over the top themes, etc.), and I want to share it with my H, not just my coworkers. Especially since there are over 1000 people in my office and it's easy to feel sort of lost in the crowd.

[lolalolalola]

We don't do anything for the whole company, and for our department, my boss hosts a party at her house.

DH's company does a fancy party at a hotel in the mountains, and pays for our rooms for the night.

[drloretta]

My company is part of a network. Different locations do it differently. Our little group is lumped in with a larger office and they have a pretty decent bash. It's not like on TV, LOL. Back in the 90s there used to be evening dress-up parties, but that's gone by the wayside.

Then again, I work from home so I just hang out in my PJs while everyone goes to the home office and has snacks

[idahome]

I’m in the tech industry and we throw a cocktail-attire level party every year. It’s for employees plus 1 adult guest: open bar, swanky/trendy location, food stations, band. Then there’s an after party at a local bar.

I work with some people who can’t handle this. I’m always one of the first to leave because I am our Compliance department.

[scm1011]

My company holiday party is tonight and apparently its a very big deal (its my first year here). Its black tie optional and at a fancy hotel in Boston. Its open bar, casino-night themed with big prizes, and everyone gets free ubers or valet (there are ~300 ppl in my office). There are women leaving early to get their hair done and eyelash extensions, lol.

RockNVoll, were they this fancy-pants when you worked here? I feel like I'm going to be kind of underdressed but I can't justify buying a maternity ball gown.

At my old company it was from 4-5pm on a weekday in the office with potluck. A little different!

[scm1011]

Good to know, RockNVoll - thanks! And yes, the free transportation is pretty awesome/generous.

[raangoli]

HAHAHAHA. Nope.

At my previous employer we had a holiday potluck lunch if we were lucky.

[konapoppy]

I have worked in three different industries and never had a super fancy party. Everywhere I have been had always been in cost-cutting mode, so I can’t imagine these lavish events (or a trip to London).