Prince

They're having a Xmas party at work... I work the 10p/6a shift and this thing is at 2 in the fuckin afternoon.

I work there because I need the $, and I like some of the people I work with, but I don't have any respect left for the admin staff, and effectively don't give two shits about the job.

I've never been to an office xmas party in America. I don't know. Is it expected of you to go and at least pretend you're enjoying yourself?

Common sense says no, but you never know with cultural differences and customs. Doing something or not doing it may not mean jack in one country, and is a great insult in another.

Meh.

And no, I don't know why I need to post a poll to decide something like this. Pretty lame.

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the_marq

I skipped mine this year for the same reasons you are citing. I'd only go if there was a chance to score some good free food and drink or door prizes.

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#3 in a series

maleficent

In an office environment, not sure if healthcare is different, it can sometimes be considered career suicide to not go to the office christmas parties unless you have a justifiable conflict (ie someone died (produce death certificate , or out of town)

The office party is part of your job. Its purpose is to bring together coworkers and colleagues for a bit of camaraderie and some well-deserved recognition. If this is not your idea of a great time, then consider it work, put on your best attitude and go.

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Averett

I tend not to go to office parties. I see these people 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, why would I want to hang out with them after hours?

We had ours this past Saturday, but it was my Grandma's 80th birthday, I think that was a little more important..

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Guthumba

Ask around to your co-workers and get an idea of how many are attending, it should indicate to you whether or not this is a "mandatory-voluntary" event or just a little get-together than you can blow off.

If you have to go, show up about 30 minutes after it starts and spend 30 minutes there moving around and talking to different people for 1-2 minutes each. You can then successfully bail out and the next day everyone will think you were there for the majority of the evening (provided your office is large enough and everyone is drinking enough to disguise your absence).

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rockzilla

Yeah, it's usually considered impolite not to attend. While you probably wouldn't get into trouble for not showing up, it certainly wouldn't hurt to make an appearance, thank the boss for throwing the party, and then explain that you have to work later on and need to get some rest. You'll be in and out in an hour, and you'll leave the boss with a good impression of you.

Stompy

I don't go unless there's drinks, otherwise it's just a gathering of people who crack the stupidest jokes and talk about the most boring crap.

Seriously... you know how the atmosphere is. Everyone starts laughing as if Chris Rock is doing some stand up routine, but you find out that it's some lame joke that REALLY isn't funny at all. I mean, not even the slightest. No matter what context the joke is told in... it's impossible for it to be remotely hilarious - yet people laugh.

My two friends and I are the programmers of the company, so we can pretty much do whatever... whenever there's a party, we're the ones to get trashed. Usually us and the boss, however, this year there won't be drinks.

It's normally at the boss' house, but this year it's actually at the office. That and no drinks = no show. Booooring. Instead I'll shampoo my carpet at home - it really needs to be done.

We were a small company of probably 10-15 people, and we've all known each other for 7+ years. Now the company is growing and more than half of the people here are new now. I don't know them. Quite a few seem very uptight... as a result, I choose not to participate in the holiday events like thanksgiving/christmas (secret santa, especially). It's no longer fun like it used to be.

[edit]
Also, if you're working at a place where it's "career suicide" to not attend such a thing, then you should probably start lookin for another job. Chances are this one isn't making you too happy. The whole point of you working is to get a job done so you can get paid, not to socialize with a bunch of kiss asses.. although, I've never ever heard of anyone getting fired because they didn't attend a christmas party... I don't even think that's legal.

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Rdr4evr

I despise "work parties" or whatever it is they like call them. I go to my job to work, not to make friends with the pathetic kiss asses.

When I use to work at the bank, we had some sort of lame get together almost every week; I was the only one to never attend any of them and eventually got fired. Although the reason was because "I wasn’t performing up to standards", even though I was doing more work than most people there. I believe in reality it was because I wasn’t a "team player" and I didn't have my tongue up the managers ass.

So my answer to you Prince is, don't waste your time.

warrrreagl

I'll be going to mine because I love Christmas and I love the people I work with. It will be fun. But even if I didn't enjoy my co-workers' company, I'd still go because it's the right thing to do.

By the way, I NEVER eat anything at these pot-luck affairs, because I don't trust other people to be as sanitary as me. I simply mingle and politely turn down the food. Since so many folks are on such wacky diets, nobody ever questions my lack of a plate very deeply.

This is all due to the influence of my wife, who is the single cleanest person on the planet. People who suffer from OCD hand-washing look at her and say, "Damn!"

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Glory's Sun

luckily, our company isn't throwing a party. We'll save the money and put it towards other things to help the company grow. I like that idea.

Now as far as you're concerned I say get the rest but it wouldn't be a bad idea to show up for a few minutes. It would show that you care about your job and you don't have to stay the whole time. Of course if you're not rested and you don't perform well on the job that could be bad also. So basically, unless it's mandatory or you'd be the only one not attending, then I say sleep away..

ShaniFaye

I love my companys holiday parties....we have two...one for our department and one for the whole company

Our boss sets up a casino nite as his house and the "money" (its play money) we win can be used to "purchase" items he has gotten....they are usually good things too...dvd players, a laptop, gift certs for eating places etc

I guess Im lucky.....I love hanging out with the people I work with

Same with Dave's company, this years party at the brazilian steakhouse was fucking awesome....there are no other words to describe it. I didnt eat for two days afterwards lol

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f6twister

Our Christmas party isn't held until mid to late January because everyone is usually too busy to attend before Christmas. I went to one a few years ago. All I saw were the people I used to respect get totally drunk and make asses of themselves. I would rather stick to dealing with them on a professional level when they are sober.

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angeltek

My staff x-mas party really sucked. I had to pay $15 for me and my wife to go. The food was kinda ojnj the crappy side. Following supper was the dance, which was nothing but a bunch of gangsta rap and hoochie bar music. Needless to say we left at around 8pm. Oh, and drinks were $5 each (what a ripoff).

This is what you get at an xmas party for one of the cities largest employers I guess....there were like 800 people there...and about 500 employees who just didn't go.

no social suicide there

denim

I disagree with this position to the extent that I've not gone to one of these "parties" in years. As far as I'm concerned, these parties are a major chance to screw up, make a fool of oneself, and get into trouble. I avoid them like plague. It may be better in a small company, where you actually know who is who.

I have been known to have fun at them, but not in the last 15 or so years. As far as I'm concerned, "social" and "coworkers" do NOT go together in most cases. This is especially true if there's alcohol involved.

Catmandu

I am willing to support my wife by going to her party, but I do not expect the same from her. I skipped my work party for 6 years until 2002. We went and we were 1 of about 5 couples there. That was the end of it for me.

Redlemon

My office is about 25 people. We used to have fancy Christmas parties, but now instead we have ultracasual Summer parties. This is much better because (a) there are now many more children, and it is easier if the kids can be at the party and (b) there's way too much other stuff going on in December.

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st33lr4t

i skip the office party, and i skipped my womans office party. im an outcast and like to show it.

Grancey

Since the party is being held at 2:00 in the afternoon and you get off at 6:00am, then I would think that your absence should not be questioned.

It really depends on where you work as to the expectations placed on employees. Consult your co-workers on the proper protocol, and especially talk to the ones who work the same hours that you do. You may want to follow their lead until you are comfortable enough to make that decision.

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stonegrody

I skipped ours. Our Christmas party consists of everyone going to the CEO's house, having cheap wine and then walking down his street to look at everyone's christmas lights. If I wanted to walk in a rich neighborhood and be reminded of how much money I don't make, I'd do it on my own time. Bah, Humbug.

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Cynthetiq

I use mine to network with people who I don't interact with on a regular basis. I may only see them in the halls or maybe I did a project with them in previous months, but it's a time to reconnect with them and also to learn a little about them on a personal level.

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El Kaz

My boss threw a pool party this summer and we're not doing any Xmas party because of it... go figure.

Samalie

I dispise the office Christmas party.

And it's even worse for me. For me to go to the Christmas party basically amounts to a $200 bill. By the time I pay for a babysitter, gas to the party (I live an hour from work), drinks (No free booze here, last time I went was $6.50 a drink!!!), and a hotel room for the night (since they wont pay my cabfare, so the choice is to not drink and lose my fucking mind dealing with the drunk assholes, or get a room).

Considering the cheapass excuse for a meal & entertainment here runs about $4 a person, I kindly tell my boss to fuck off & put the $4 as a bonus on my pay.

Seriously, a $200 expense to see the people I see 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, so I can pay 3x the price for booze and get a meal which would be unacceptable served from McDonalds? Fuck that.

Hell, a couple of years ago da boss dude sent out an email - basically "What would you like the party to be" - so a bunch of us rebelled and said we wanted to DO something - dinner theatre, golf, movie, fucking bowling, SOMETHING other than sit on our ass eating a shitty meal for 4 hours. So he took all of our suggestions (and were a small office, like ALL of us put in a "lets do SOMETHING" request) - and fucking said to hell with it & booked us a shitty greek dinner at a shitty greek restaurant who served shitty undercooked lamb (no choice) and charged $8.50 for drinks. Fucking cunt. So I didn't go - and neither did 1/2 the office - Monday morning, we were greeted with emails that went to the entire fucking organization telling the 50% of us who didn't show that we were cunts for not coming. Picture 12 angry people, in the middle of our annual fiunancials audit, telling him to go fuck himself, and if he didn't like it he could do the fucking accounting himself.

An aplogy was quickly issued.

Yes I still work there. Pitty me.

Ishmal

free food and alcohol??? definately go!!! i did, and i dun really like any1 i work with... only because they are all old and i'm only 18.
but i got really drunk for free. so i was there!

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FngKestrel

I went to mine. I sat with the guys I normally go to lunch with because I enjoy their company, ate the free food, drank the free liquor, watched over people throw up. Absolute comedy. Last year, I won a mini fridge in the raffle and this year, I scored about 8 boxes of colored pencils (I do art, so that's a win for me).

If you go, bring a tape recorder. I wish I had one on me when my boss admitted that I didn't get paid enough.

rainheart

I went to my party at work. I stayed for a few minutes, brought a pack of cards and we played some games. Then I stole some of their booze and left.

Similar to you, I have no respect left for my moronic co-workers or the terrible management.

What I did was basically an act of protest, and was meant to imply: "Hey, I only came for your booze, your party blows and so do you, have a nice christmas and new year, bye-bye!"

It felt really good.

As for you? Don't go.
Edit: Better yet, do what I did. Go, use it up for what it's worth, and leave early.

outdoor

I think it's good to go. Have a few drinks before, and keep a flask handy.

sammy776

we had a pot luck lunch, i skipped it sorry no interest

Rodney

They probably won't even notice you're not there; after all, you're on a different shift. Ditch it; if somebody asks, tell them you're sorry but you slept through the alarm clock, 'cause you're not used to getting up with only four hours of sleep... They'll get the picture.

Bauh4us

I just went to mine. I won an Xbox in the raffle . Well worth the trip!!

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little_tippler

I just recently got hired and it hans't been a year that I'm working at this place. There is a company christmas dinner. I was asked whether I would be going by the organizer, and I said probably not...and I was told maybe I should because the boss would be offended otherwise. So I went, it wasn't too bad, in the end I enjoyed it. I think I will be going in future, because it creates a good atmosphere between people...maybe it's a bit of kiss ass, but there's no harm in it as long as you keep your self-respect. It also makes sure that you're not such an easy target to pick on.

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Whether we write or speak or do but look
We are ever unapparent. What we are
Cannot be transfused into word or book.
Our soul from us is infinitely far.
However much we give our thoughts the will
To be our soul and gesture it abroad,
Our hearts are incommunicable still.
In what we show ourselves we are ignored.
The abyss from soul to soul cannot be bridged
By any skill of thought or trick of seeming.
Unto our very selves we are abridged
When we would utter to our thought our being.
We are our dreams of ourselves, souls by gleams,
And each to each other dreams of others' dreams.

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fresnelly

I thought I'd bump this thread because tis the season. I also happened to read an interesting article in today's Globe and Mail that touched on a lot of the bitter sentiments voiced here.

Our company is taking us out for a nice dinner and we're a pretty laid back bunch, so I'm actually looking forward to it.

Here's the first part of the article. (I left off the last two thirds due to length)

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...tory/Business/

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Charlatan

The parties at my last place of employ were generally lame and boring. If I didn't actually like some of my fellow employees I would have avoided attending.

This past week my new company held its annual Christmas bash... I have to say it was one of the best parties I've been to in a while. I should mention it followed closely on the tail of our Halloween Party which was less cool but still a lot of fun.

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Redlemon

We have our annual bash in the late summer/early autumn. There's way too much other stuff going on in December.

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amonkie

The holiday party where I work is held in the ballroom, is open to "employees/spouses/children" -so definitely not an adult affair. They are supposed to be having Santa, clowns and some other stuff. I guess I could go and sit on Santa's Lap, but since the party is between 2:00-5:00pm and I'm normally sleeping that time, will be a no go. Is it too much to ask the company to hold a party that ALL the employees can attend?

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Cynthetiq

ours is tomorrow night...

5000 hipster employees + pumping music = Instant Club

usually there's plenty of people who hook up there....

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Siege

Hmm, I went to the previous year's, but i'm not going this year for a few reasons. Mainly because it's close to exams though.

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