December and Employment Perks

[livinitup]

What is your office doing in December that’s a bit better than the rest of the year? My office just announced charitable donations to all regions with site locations and half day Fridays. We also have a holiday party hosted at a nice restaurant (with good food/drink) during work hours (you don’t have to attend :for real: but I like the event).

I feel like I’ve earned this feeling of being thrilled after working at a deplorable organization for many years. It’s just nice to see an announcement like this while planning December. I spent years saying “I have got to find a new job, I have got to find a new job …”

[eddy]

My state university gives us two extra vacation days as thanks for the year of service. I always really appreciate this.

Otherwise nothing and I am fine with that.

[midwestmama]

I expect that in-office workdays (T & W) will be paused the week of Christmas, and employees who don't take time off can work from home, but that will be all.

[konapoppy]

A virtual town hall and probably a snack box 🤷🏻‍♀️

[SusanBAnthony]

I will probably get a free lunch or happy hour or dinner with my boss.

We get end of year profit sharing and a lunch or breakfast or cookie or something with that. It's about 2000$ per employee.

During the holiday weeks no one bats an eye if you leave early as long as things are calm and no disasters need to be dealt with.

We used to have a big end of year potluck but that ended with COVID and it's probably a good thing with all the germs in late December and people traveling and such. No need to encourage a mass COVID outbreak! But people loved it and really miss it so idk.

[CurlyQ284]

Ummm ... Nothing?
Lol sob

[TR]

LOL they laid off 8% of the company in a restructure last week so in December we'll find out more about what are new roles look like, for those of us who are staying, but shifting around. Good times! Fa la la la la, la la fuck off (to my job, not you OP)

[mrsukyankee]

We get a Tuesday afternoon off. During that time we pay for a special lunch out (it is fun and we all enjoy ourselves as we love our Team) and then I'm planning the after lunch drinks portion (local pub, most likely). Other than that, nothing, which is normal for a university in the UK.

[wanderingback]

Nothing that I know of. They did announce that this Wednesday is a paid holiday, so that was a nice surprise. We always have the Friday after thanksgiving off.
We also had Election Day and Veterans Day off. So November has been good with extra days off!

I don’t think anything special happens in December. I work for a non profit, so not surprising.

[nsl]

We get a small holiday gift (last year it was a portable phone charger) and sometimes they cancel our last faculty meeting of the year.

[jennistarr1]

yeah nothing...I'm feeling better reading this post because I was just talking to a bunch of other people about what their offices do and everyone was pretty impressive, one chick was planning her office party with a 50K budget.

In January, we will go out for a holiday lunch on our own dime

[minzy]

Um, I get to be the one to send the signupgenius for our dessert potluck holiday party? And I will also get to absorb cases from the many people permanently departing my office in the next few weeks? 😢🎁 Part of the Metro is closing for a few weeks in December so maybe I won’t have to go in but can telework? Falalala. #govtemployee

[cjcouple]

they do a harvest picnic and provide the ham and turkey and everyone brings a dish to share for Thanksgiving.

They also do a holiday party in mid dec and they bring in a barista/coffee guy who makes free drinks like espressos,lattes, hot chocolate. He usually has 5 flavors to choose from.

and finally a substantial bonus a few days before Christmas.

[flygirl]

Since Covid, we have been getting a gift mailed to us which has been great. We doubled in size this year and we haven’t met our goal so who knows what will happen this year.
We don’t get bonuses this time of the year.

Our division just donated a large amount (from the employees) to a great charity last week which was awesome!

[rosiebear]

State employee, so not much officially. We have an office party somewhere in December and one of our colleagues always has a holiday party at his home. I have been with the state for long enough that I can convert up to 40 hours of unused vacation time into a “bonus paycheck,“ so that’s a nice perk

In November, we do a food drive and it is also the statewide charity donation drive month so there are a lot of activities wrapped up with that, like a trivia night, and a cornhole tournament, things like that.

[formerlyak]

This is a slow time for my org, so I call my staff after lunch (we are all remote) a few days and tell them to stop working and close the office. I’ll do it this Wednesday and the Friday before Christmas for sure, and maybe a few other days. August - early November are very busy for us, so some extra hours back are always appreciated.

My board president hosts a holiday party at her house for staff, board and volunteers.

And when we made our holiday calendar this year, I went to bat to have the office close Christmas - New Year and the board agreed.

[penguingrrl]

I’m not currently employed but DH gets nothing for Nov/Dec/end of year. He might get to log off early Wednesday if his manager chooses to let them (they won’t know until Wednesday) and Friday he’ll be off, but he uses PTO to be off, same with Christmas Eve-NYD. His raise and bonus come at the end of February.

[dochas]

It's my first year at the company. The 1st week of December there's a catered lunch, champagne and desserts, early closing and other things TBD. There's also a cubicle decorating contest that's new this year. People told me last year there was a tricky tray with big ticket gifts and pto days. Sounds like fun. The office also close at 3 the day before a holiday.

My manager already told me to work remote that week which is awesome because my husband didn't get approves for any days off and I don't want my son to be all alone all week.

[buckeyegirl]

I'm a teacher so winter break!

[bex1973]

My boss usually buys lunch for us and the university is shut down from 12-24 until 1-2 so we get that time off and don't have to use vacation time.

[holly116]

Concert and a fancy boozy, appetizer/dessert reception with a band afterward at the best venue in town. It's amazing and a serious perk to working here and in the home office. Last year the concert was OneRepublic. This year it's Dierks Bentley.

My department will also do some fun stuff, cookie/gingerbread decorating competition and my team will have a "late lunch" aka early happy hour.

[underwaterrhymes]

We get the week of Thanksgiving off, but we are a nonprofit and so that’s about it.

[fernweh]

We get the week between Christmas and New Year off. Besides that, nothing.

[plutosmoon]

We shut down for winter break, usually 7-10 days off and paid without using vacation. We have an office party for my division at a local restaurant and the college has a party at the local art museum.

We generally don't get bonuses, although we did get a one time $1000 payout in December 2020, but they didn't call it a bonus.

[ssmjlm]

I work for the govt




Aww, my laughing gif won't work.

[skidunks]

My office closes the week between Christmas and New Years. It’s not paid but I did save a couple of my vacation days this year for that week. We get a cash bonus and sometimes a get another gift with it as well.
My female boss is a very thoughtful gift giver. I tell her all the time how much I love that about her, it’s really nice of her.

[mrsukyankee]

I forgot that the uni closes from 5.30pm on the 22nd to 9am on 3 Jan, so I'll get that time off (paid leave). My H is taking it off (but he also has a gazillion days to take off so it's fine).

[wildrice]

Nov 20, 2023 9:03:31 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

A virtual town hall and probably a snack box 🤷🏻‍♀️

Lol basically this! Our "holiday party" is a virtual meeting and it's nice but I wouldn't say it's fun. We also get $40 toward a snack box.

We are a non-profit and are having some budget issues, though, so it would be irresponsible to do more anyway. I love working here but sometimes I get jealous around this time of year when I hear what all your for-profit employers and bosses do. That has never been my world.

ETA: I wish we got time off around the holidays, but we just get Christmas day/New years day. 

[7costanza]

We have the week between Christmas and New Years off, holiday party and office wide off-site meeting (which only happens once a year.)

[litebright]

We do a shutdown between Christmas and New Years. It is a much-needed breather and while I don't get paid (I'm contract, not salaried), it's worth it to have the time off.

We don't have an office/are all remote, so no parties and whatnot.