DH's company has several parties depending on your department. There should be one for administration and one for the non-profit foundation that at least DH will attend but I don't know the details on those yet or if I am invited. One of the area's that DH is the director over will be having a party on a Saturday from 3pm to 5pm (I think) at a local golf/country club. It will be employee + 1.
I work at a not-for-profit and after our December Directors meeting (always a Friday) the office is closed and the Directors & Staff go to lunch. Because alcohol is involved we are done for the day after lunch is over. The restaurant is chosen by the President each year so we always end up someplace different and more expensive than I would go to on my own so it's great in that sense. This year will be a special silent celebration for the staff because our current president is .... difficult.
Post by spankswife on Oct 24, 2013 13:36:17 GMT -5
Ours is perfect - Friday 2-5. We leave at 130 ish, go to a nice restaurant/private room, full open bar, aps, lunch or dinner items to choose from, you get to leave at 5. No spouses. win-win-win
Post by thebreakfastclub on Oct 24, 2013 15:29:23 GMT -5
We have 1,000+ people, so it used to be a giant lunch in a hotel ballroom, and you could leave afterwards.
The highlight of one year was a local HS choir signing carols for entertainment. The director must not have realized there would be so many people, because she got totally flustered and they basically fucked up the whole thing. They started to sing "Ave Maria" and she called it off after like three notes and apologized and went into something else.
After the Great Recession, it was canceled and replaced with just the half day off on a Friday afternoon, which everybody much preferred.
My co-worker spent $100K on a Dave & Buster's style party basement in his house, so he has an incredible holiday party that a lot of us go to. There's a DJ, busty bartenders, general debauchery.
Post by IrishBelle on Oct 24, 2013 16:12:29 GMT -5
My current employer doesn't have anything.
At my previous employer, it was held at a hall on a Saturday night. It wasn't free though and you had to buy a ticket. I think they were $20 each and covered a traditional Christmas dinnerm dancing and door prizes. There was a DJ and a cash bar. I only went once in my 3 years there but it was a good time.
Post by FrozenSunshine on Oct 24, 2013 16:20:27 GMT -5
Our company does a huge party every other year because they fly employees and spouses in for it. They pay for 2 nights hotel and airfare to attend. Because of this arrangement, it's done on a Saturday night. I'm looking forward to it this year because I started the January after a big party, so I have actually never met some of my coworkers in person.
Post by cricketwife on Oct 24, 2013 16:35:17 GMT -5
For years we had a party for my division (at a school) and a whole school party - both on a Saturday night. We also had the "holiday concert' on a Sunday afternoon in December. I HATED it. It was 3 weekends in December that I was expected to be at a work function - I don't care it the function is a "party."
With a new head, the division parties have been nixed and the whole school party is during the week - usually a Wed. I LOVE it because I don't want to do work things on a Saturday, but lots of teachers who have kids don't come because they say it's too hard on a school night.
Spouses are invited.
To me, holiday work parties feel like an obligation no matter when they are held. I actually like going to H's holiday work party better because since they aren't the people that I work with all the time, it feels more like a party and less like work.
Ours is later in February so it doesn't interfere with end of quarter, but the office party is typically on Wednesday night. They rent out a location in downtown Boston (last year was house of blues) and spouses are invited. There is open bar, a band, food. Last years was awesome.
Our actual company party is on an afternoon during the week. I think it was a Thursday last year but I don't recall if that's consistent from year to year. Spouses used to be invited, but last year they changed the format and made it employees only. It's never that much fun but it's nice to get away from my desk for a few hours, I guess.
This thread just made me realize I have three weekend holiday commitments through work in December, though - my department head has a nice party at her house, my team is doing an outing together, and I just got an invite today to another department head's Christmas party. It's a good thing I like all three groups of people a lot because that's kind of a lot of commitments!
Spouses are invited to those but I will probably be attending alone. Thankfully there are a few other singles I can hang out with
We had a lunch last year during office hours at a golf course clubhouse. They also gave us a bonus check of $500, paid for our health insurance for our families for the month of December, and let us leave and go home after the lunch and still got paid for it since we're salary. I am kind of hoping we get the bonus and medical insurance paid for; don't mind no big party.