Dreading the Xmas office party?

Hitchens

Ours is coming up in early December. Am I in a minority when I say I look forward to it?

A colleague was telling me the other day that "he dreads the whole flippin' idea of it".

Any thoughts on it?

Autonomous

Don't go...

F1ngers

Autonomous wrote: »

Don't go...

But, (s)he's looking forward to it.

Did you even read the op?

Lia_lia

I left ours after the meal last year to go to a techno gig in town Will try and stay the whole night this year...

punisher5112

Free beet and food go if not nah

Captain Chaos

Not going to mine. Going to get a curry and few beers in and watch some movies on the Saturday night instead. Much more relaxing and enjoyable imo.

catallus

As an opportunity to bond with your co-workers under the auspices of religious celebration, the Christmas Party should be encouraged by all right thinking people.

Yellowblackbird

punisher5112 wrote: »

Free beet

Can't argue with free healthy nutrition.
Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains. Betanin and vulgaxanthin are the two best-studied betalains from beets, and both have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support.

catallus

You can't beat beets. Well, maybe you can hit them with a banana, if your aim is good enough.

RonanP77

If mine is within walking distance of home then I'll consider going but if it's any further I'll be giving it a miss. I get on quite well with a few people at work but there are others that I really don't want to listen to at work let alone outside of it so I normally avoid these things.

Laois_Man

It's 3 or 4 hours once a year so I can bear it. ....as long as I don't get stuck sitting at a bad table...... with the "funny" and "really sound" MD!

The fact that I swerve almost every other event all year, I do show my face at this.

Specialun

Not going to bother with mine

The biatches be all over me and they would jst look desperate...doing them afavour

downonthefarm

Just remember beer before wine everything fine
wine before beer everything is queer

UCDVet

I like to keep my work separate from everything else. Work is a business transaction, I give them hours of my time, they give me money. If you complicate it with personal attachments, it just gets messy. I've known so many people who stay in a crappy job or deal with a crappy boss because they feel a personal attachment to some co-workers or some boss or the owner or the customers.

In fact, companies spend a lot of money to try and artificially promote bonds between co-workers for exactly this reason. Team outings, summer parties, bring you children days, Christmas parties....it's all meant to make you feel like you are 'part of something'.

Naturally, the flip-side doesn't hold. When it's time to fire people to improve the bottom line; the soulless company will be happy to let you go.

It happens all the time. So and so worked his or her ass off for years, always helping out, pitching in, going above and beyond and feeling like he or she was apart of the company. And then the company fires them or shuts down their office because the handful of rich people running it can afford a 4th summer home by offshoring the jobs somewhere else.

Screw Christmas parties.
I have friends and family that I'll party with.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

A guy I worked with always said the Christmas party was more to be endured than enjoyed. I have to agree with him.

Phoebas

UCDVet wrote: »

Naturally, the flip-side doesn't hold. When it's time to fire people to improve the bottom line; the soulless company will be happy to let you go.

All other things being equal, they'll sack the guy who they don't have a strong personal relationship with over those they do.

UCDVet

Phoebas wrote: »

All other things being equal, they'll sack the guy who they don't have a strong personal relationship with over those they do.

But all things are never equal.

It's rarely ever the case that a company says, 'Well, we have a successful business and 50 employees, but we really only can afford 49. Let's fire the guy with the least amount of persona relationships....'

Either someone is under-performing and will be let go, regardless....or, more likely, the company as a whole is under-performing or making a strategic realignment or whatever and entire teams/offices all get let go.

iDave

Really don't want to go but your always told it 'looks bad' if you dont.

mad muffin

I've never gone to a work do. Ever.

Can't wait for it (well them as there are always few parties). I'm good friends with lots of people I work with so they are always great craic and serious sessions and nobody is expected in the next day even though it's usually a working day. Free food and a few free drinks too.

I've always liked work do's no matter where I've worked never understood people's dislike for them.

cloud493

Well la di da mr we get a christmas party.

mfceiling

Specialun wrote: »

Not going to bother with mine

The biatches be all over me and they would jst look desperate...doing them afavour

You da man..

*fist bump*

Playa...

_Kaiser_

I usually compromise..

I'll go for a few hours and the dinner etc to put in an appearance, but I'll bring the car so I can drive home afterwards and thus won't be drinking either.

Experience many years ago has taught me it's best not to get drunk at those things

tomwaterford

Gannon Flat Crayon wrote: »

Can't wait for it (well them as there are always few parties). I'm good friends with lots of people I work with so they are always great craic and serious sessions and nobody is expected in the next day even though it's usually a working day. Free food and a few free drinks too.

I've always liked work do's no matter where I've worked never understood people's dislike for them.

Do you not get sick of seeing the people you work with everyday and the especially bad everyone wanting to talk small talk with you at work dos....just annoying esp since it's on your. Oown time...like youl not be getting paid for it??

BlatentCheek

tomwaterford wrote: »

Do you not get sick of seeing the people you work with everyday and the especially bad everyone wanting to talk small talk with you at work dos....just annoying esp since it's on your. Oown time...like youl not be getting paid for it??

Some things in life just have to be done. If you don't like your work colleagues work-dos are one of those things. Grin and bear it and try to enjoy yourself, at worst people will appreciate that you're making the effort.

tomwaterford

BlatentCheek wrote: »

Some things in life just have to be done. If you don't like your work colleagues work-dos are one of those things. Grin and bear it and try to enjoy yourself, at worst people will appreciate that you're making the effort.

I actually get along right well with work colleagues..touch wood...there sound outlike...but come half five I dont to hear sight nor sound of them until the next day....like I wouldn't give any of them my work number/be friends on Facebook etc with them....i would be pretty sure they prob feel the same like!!

Like I left a job before after working for three years day in day out with people and getting on well with them...and never spoke another word to most of them again...I've no reason to like!!

A Primal Nut

I regularly go out getting drunk with people from work so a christmas party is a great opportunity for all of us to get drunk! I always have a good night for the christmas party.

homerjay2005

A Primal Nut wrote: »

I regularly go out getting drunk with people from work so a christmas party is a great opportunity for all of us to get drunk! I always have a good night for the christmas party.

this....

ours generally are one of the best nights of the year! i guess its about the people who are there, more than the event itself.

we had one a few years back that didnt finish until 9am the following morning.

Gongoozler

I'll be going, but i've questioned why thanks to this thread, as I am nervous about it. I think everything comes down to me wanting people to like me and think i'm a nice person. To boost relations between us all I suppose, but really it comes down to wanting people to see that i'm a nice person, and not as much of a bitch that they probably all thinnk.

Titzon Toast

I'm self employed these days, I haven't thrown myself a Christmas party yet.
Maybe this year I'll head into town, get pissed, and feel myself up on the way home.

tomwaterford

tomwaterford wrote: »

Do you not get sick of seeing the people you work with everyday and the especially bad everyone wanting to talk small talk with you at work dos....just annoying esp since it's on your. Oown time...like youl not be getting paid for it??

No not at all, aside from my friends at home who I grew up with its some of the people I work with who have ended up being my main group of friends, so I look on them as friends I work with rather than work colleagues and would be out on the beer with them or doing things with them, visitng their houses etc regularly. There are lots of other sound people then who I only get a chance to have a proper chat with at work nights (which are admittedly very regular, probably something on at least once a month) and I enjoy that aspect also and the vast majority of people including bosses couldn't give a damn how drunk people get etc.

Of course there are people you don't want to get stuck talking too but they are easy enough avoid.

Dirty Dingus McGee

I've never gone to one and never will go to one.

Mint Aero

The chrimbo party will be our third office party of the year. Following the first one which I dunno what it was in aid of and then the summer one. They're good craic. Free transport to a nice city. Slap up meal, drinks, what's the problem OP?

Kevin McCloud

Big problems indeed.

Cee-Jay-Cee

UCDVet wrote: »

I like to keep my work separate from everything else. Work is a business transaction, I give them hours of my time, they give me money. If you complicate it with personal attachments, it just gets messy. I've known so many people who stay in a crappy job or deal with a crappy boss because they feel a personal attachment to some co-workers or some boss or the owner or the customers.

In fact, companies spend a lot of money to try and artificially promote bonds between co-workers for exactly this reason. Team outings, summer parties, bring you children days, Christmas parties....it's all meant to make you feel like you are 'part of something'.

Naturally, the flip-side doesn't hold. When it's time to fire people to improve the bottom line; the soulless company will be happy to let you go.

It happens all the time. So and so worked his or her ass off for years, always helping out, pitching in, going above and beyond and feeling like he or she was apart of the company. And then the company fires them or shuts down their office because the handful of rich people running it can afford a 4th summer home by offshoring the jobs somewhere else.

Screw Christmas parties.
I have friends and family that I'll party with.

You sound like a real barrel of laughs. I'll bet no one is hoping you come to the Xmas party this year.

K.Flyer

Mint Aero wrote: »

....
They're good craic. Free transport to a nice city. Slap up meal, drinks, what's the problem OP?

O.P. doesn't have a problem, O.P. was asking if, by looking forward to the Christmas party, were they in the minority.

Hitchens wrote: »

Ours is coming up in early December. Am I in a minority when I say I look forward to it?

Any thoughts on it?

Icaras

I feel sorry for people who can't go out and have a few enjoyable drinks with the people they work with. If you dislike them all that much how do you get through the rest of the year?

Ted_YNWA

Titzon Toast wrote: »

I'm self employed these days, I haven't thrown myself a Christmas party yet.
Maybe this year I'll head into town, get pissed, and feel myself up on the way home.

Be careful you don't tell the boss what you really think of him.

I would be good friends with a number of work colleagues & regularly go drinking with them on non-work organised events.

UCDVet

UCDVet wrote: »

I like to keep my work separate from everything else. Work is a business transaction, I give them hours of my time, they give me money. If you complicate it with personal attachments, it just gets messy. I've known so many people who stay in a crappy job or deal with a crappy boss because they feel a personal attachment to some co-workers or some boss or the owner or the customers.

In fact, companies spend a lot of money to try and artificially promote bonds between co-workers for exactly this reason. Team outings, summer parties, bring you children days, Christmas parties....it's all meant to make you feel like you are 'part of something'.

Naturally, the flip-side doesn't hold. When it's time to fire people to improve the bottom line; the soulless company will be happy to let you go.

It happens all the time. So and so worked his or her ass off for years, always helping out, pitching in, going above and beyond and feeling like he or she was apart of the company. And then the company fires them or shuts down their office because the handful of rich people running it can afford a 4th summer home by offshoring the jobs somewhere else.

Screw Christmas parties.
I have friends and family that I'll party with.

Completely disagree tbh. I very much like making good friends with the people I work with. Any job I've been in I've made good friends who i would regularly go out with. These are the people you spend many hours everyday with I would find it very very difficult not to become friends them.

For me work people are the friends I party with.

Mint Aero

K.Flyer wrote: »

O.P. doesn't have a problem, O.P. was asking if, by looking forward to the Christmas party, were they in the minority.

Fair play, I forgot what the Op was by the time I read all the other miserable crap.

To Elland Back

I hate the thing and won't be going to ours and haven't done so for many years. They are my colleagues and I get on well with most of them, but they are not my friends. Work is what I do and my family and friends are separate.

I've yet to go to a work function where it didn't end bad for at least one person and then you have to spend the rest of the year in awkward conversation. I'd happily have a pint with any one of my colleagues, but I wouldn't want to be with a big group of them.

Hitchens

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

I've never gone to one and never will go to one.

never say never........................maybe you might like it?

Titzon Toast

Ted_YNWA wrote: »

Be careful you don't tell the boss what you really think of him.

I would be good friends with a number of work colleagues & regularly go drinking with them on non-work organised events.

Same as that, I've gone out at Christmas time with previous jobs a few times and always had a blast.
I don't think you can truly know someone until you've gotten pissed with them!

ClovenHoof

I am self employed bow but I dreaded the Christmas office party.

The unspoken class system and department sectarianism in only compounded by the obnoxious groupings.

YbFocus

I have never had one and this will be my first.
I must say this doesn't build much confidence

Soft Falling Rain

I keep telling people that I'm organising my own xmas party in response to how sh1t these things are. Problem is that I can't compete with the free gargle.

Hitchens

YbFocus wrote: »

I have never had one and this will be my first.

I'd be very careful in that case!

tomwaterford

Gannon Flat Crayon wrote: »

No not at all, aside from my friends at home who I grew up with its some of the people I work with who have ended up being my main group of friends, so I look on them as friends I work with rather than work colleagues and would be out on the beer with them or doing things with them, visitng their houses etc regularly. There are lots of other sound people then who I only get a chance to have a proper chat with at work nights (which are admittedly very regular, probably something on at least once a month) and I enjoy that aspect also and the vast majority of people including bosses couldn't give a damn how drunk people get etc.

Of course there are people you don't want to get stuck talking too but they are easy enough avoid.

your are lucky so...its just the people I work with...ive little or nothing in common with them
there all like married with kids etc...jesus even the two lads my age have kids....there none of them have any real interests outside of work....all they talk about is how much they hate there parthners and how boring there lives are etc and who they are doing the dirt on therparthners with (well admittedly that's just one lad...and I think its prue bull tbh)

suicide_circus

My workplace is mad for cringe-inducing organised mandatory "craic". Dreadful stuff. Just let me turn up, do my job and go home, that's all I ask.

cazzer22

Looking forward to mine. We're heading to the Laughter Lounge :-)

Sunnyisland

I used to love the Christmas partys, they were always fun, and yes some people did make a show of themselfs and yes we talked about them the for the next three months,but **** it we are only human,

Remember one time at the employees only free drink party,one of the men through himself into the canal, I kid you not, my father jumped in and saved him and got him out,when my father went out to his house the next day to see was he ok,the mans children there said are you the man our daddy saved...