Holiday work parties.

a reply to: Nyiah

"Do people have no backbone anymore?"

a reply to: mblahnikluver

My wife's been working for a nearby city for about three years. She has to deal with all types and there's plenty of annoying/needy/untrustworthy personalities in city gov't!

They just had their mandatory Christmas party last night and she won an award for "appropriate assertiveness" -


I could have told them that!

a reply to: mblahnikluver

I usually attend and take advantage of the few free drinks I can get, I then proceed to get piss drunk. Then again, I do have a problem when I'm at these "social events" and have to much.

a reply to: mblahnikluver

It depends on the company to me. I worked at some places where I didn't go just because I worked with a bunch of arseholes. Others I went because I liked alot of my coworkers.

I have been told that American XMAS work parties are different than other countries. Apparently in certain South American countries spouses are generally not invited and its looked at a a chance to have a one night stand with someone. I would never be interested in that kind of thing. Well not with my current wife, with my practice wife, maybe so. :-)

I kind of wish my work had Christmas parties. Apparently we used to...but I guess one year a couple of people got into a fist fight in the middle of the restaurant so now my boss doesn't have them any more. On the other hand....a party like that with my coworkers would be kind of odd....I don't think anyone would really even want to go to one together.

We all get along at work most of the time but I really can't see anyone really wanting to sit down somewhere and socialize together like that.

We do always get a BBQ pig and a # tonne of Chinese food for Chinese new year though. Everybody in the shop looks forward to that. The installers always manage to make it back right before lunch time that day somehow.

a reply to: underpass61

WTF is "Appropriate Assertiveness"???????

Where do people come up with this stuff???

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

They're just joke awards. It's just nice to know that her bosses and co-workers realize she's honest and fair and doesn't put up with trivial BS. She literally "doesn't take crap from anyone" including me (well most of the time anyway).

originally posted by: IkNOwSTuff

originally posted by: mblahnikluver
a reply to: IkNOwSTuff

When I worked in the bars lol I LOVED the Christmas parties! They were sooooo much fun. Free alcohol and food and money! Everyone was happy and got along. It is so funny to me how the most honest and decent people I have ever worked with I worked with in a strip club of all places. The people there are real and don't pretend to be anything they are not. If someone didn't care for you, you knew it and you just avoided one another and if you had to interact there wasn't this catty behavior you just did it because it was part of the job. Funny how that place had better morals than the companies I have worked for since I left.

I wonder if it was the people and industry or just our ages?
I find I enjoy them less as I get older, but anyway enough depressing stuff.

You worked in a strip club you say?

It was the industry imo. People were just nicer if you can believe it. Nobody had anything to hide. Some of the nicest most generous people i met in that industry.

Yup in my early ATS days when I signed up I was a dancer aka stripper lol oh the shenanigans I had in chat back then. My jager nights in chat, oh the memories but that was about ten years ago! I am grown up now lol

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: mblahnikluver

The Christmas party isn't your problem.
It's the toxic work environment.

BINGO! That is so very true.

originally posted by: mblahnikluver
So why is it when you don't want to attend you're an outcast or non social? Why can't it be I just don't want to sit and listen to certain people yammer on more than they already do only with alcohol this time? I mean it's pure torture to being with.

We have our office party next week and well I don't want to go for various reasons, the big one is it's a school night and i have a 5 year old! Yet it seems like when you don't attend you're talked about and labeled. I am not a fan of Christmas to being with so I really don't want to have to fake anything just because it's a holiday.

Anyone else avoid work holiday parties like it's the plague?

I love Christmas parties. As the owner of a company, I would not find someone not attending as an outcast. It is more likey you have some inner demons about social anxiety you need to work out. The kid thing..that's a cute excuse, but as someone who used to feel as you did about these things, finding any reason to reinforce my not feeling socially adequate to deal with people outside of the work setting, was going to be utilized to the fullest extent possible, as you are now.

Just go, have fun. If someone gets fresh with you, you can always sue them later.

originally posted by: mblahnikluver

originally posted by: IkNOwSTuff

originally posted by: mblahnikluver
a reply to: IkNOwSTuff

When I worked in the bars lol I LOVED the Christmas parties! They were sooooo much fun. Free alcohol and food and money! Everyone was happy and got along. It is so funny to me how the most honest and decent people I have ever worked with I worked with in a strip club of all places. The people there are real and don't pretend to be anything they are not. If someone didn't care for you, you knew it and you just avoided one another and if you had to interact there wasn't this catty behavior you just did it because it was part of the job. Funny how that place had better morals than the companies I have worked for since I left.

I wonder if it was the people and industry or just our ages?
I find I enjoy them less as I get older, but anyway enough depressing stuff.

You worked in a strip club you say?

It was the industry imo. People were just nicer if you can believe it. Nobody had anything to hide. Some of the nicest most generous people i met in that industry.

Yup in my early ATS days when I signed up I was a dancer aka stripper lol oh the shenanigans I had in chat back then. My jager nights in chat, oh the memories but that was about ten years ago! I am grown up now lol

Stripper/Dancers, are the most outgoing and fun people I have ever met. I love them all. I actually just pay to talk with them now, it's way more disarming and you have great convos when paying someone $20 every minute and thirty seconds (but they are so pretty and fun, def worth the $)

a reply to: mblahnikluver

Going to Holiday parties stink, but it's all part of the game.

I have a funny story. Many years ago when I was first starting out, I was invited to my boss's holiday party. She was holding it at her mansion and it was some big deal. I was excited and really looking forward to it.

I was crushed when I overheard her and another manager talking and saying that they could have me help serve drinks! (boy was I steaming mad! and I did not work in food service I was an office worker) Well, I continued to go along like I was going the whole time, and then the day of I made some kind of excuse and told her I couldn't make it.

She was a horrible person, horrible boss, and karma eventually got her big time. Just to give you an example of the type of person she was. She could not keep a nanny for her kids. The problem was that her kids kept hitting the nannies and spitting in their faces, so they would obviously quit. She just couldn't understand it!!! That is how out of touch she was. I was so happy to leave that job!

Our "party" is a buffet thing where employees are supplying the food and drink and it's being held in our tiny, cramped break room at the store. There is only room for a few people at a time in there. As you can imagine, no alcohol allowed.

And I'm working the evening shift that day, so the food will essentially be gone or cold by the time I even get to go on lunch. Those of us that work nights and evenings are shafted all the way around when it comes to these things. And the store is too cheap to throw an actual party.

For the best really. The working conditions have not been fun lately and things are stressful and tense. As much as I like my coworkers, the situation makes for awkwardness as it's hard to be positive and we have to watch what we say around management.

Two of my kids work at McDonalds and they're having an actual catered party downtown at a rental hall with a secret santa gift exchange and give-aways, etc. They're looking forward to going to theirs.

originally posted by: Subrosabelow
Our "party" is a buffet thing where employees are supplying the food and drink

I would never eat anything that coworkers brought into for potluck.
There was one lady I worked with. Very well dressed, classy lady. I swear she never ever washed her hands after using the restroom. I was shocked. I worked with her for several years, and I don't know if she had a dry hand problem or something but that girl did not wash!

a reply to: projectvxn

Wow that sounds like a nice event but yes I get being home with your family would be more enjoyable.

originally posted by: wtbengineer

No alcohol! I would prefer that, it might make it tolerable.

a reply to: mblahnikluver

It might cause a lot more intolerable rambling, but it would be easier for me to listen to it. Although then everyone would probably tend to stay longer and that would suck.

OH the intolerable rambling is what i want to avoid. I've heard stories and I would rather not listen because I can assure you if I have even one drink I won't bite my tongue like i do know when he goes on inappropriately. Recently he made a derogatory comment about my bf and i bit my tongue and walked out the door. I am not easily offended but what he said was uncalled for especially in a work environment. He does not know me enough to make joke like that and everyone around had this look of surprise when he said it. I think they thought I was going to unleash verbal hell on him lol They know I dont like his vulgar comments he likes to make. I always roll my eyes so hard they hurt lol

originally posted by: Flyingclaydisk
a reply to: mblahnikluver

I hear ya! I don't like them either. They're like work on drugs. And now they make all these politically correct rules, it's almost painful. Even the food has become PC! Then there's all the brown noser's with their fake laughter and an agenda. I am, perhaps obviously, not a social gathering type of guy at all anyway.

They picked a really nice seafood place so the food isn't bad. OH and being PC here, nobody is PC. The owner has a mouth on him that is just vile imo and so inappropriate at times. I prefer not to hear it or be part of his roasting where he picks on every one. It's just way too childish for me.

I haven't been to a holiday party in decades.

The last holiday party I went to that i enjoyed was when I worked in the strip club and it was 2010. I had a BLAST! People there are soooooo different than the so called professional world I am in now. It's quite funny to me honestly.

There is only one thing I miss though, and that's people getting just stoopid. I never (ever) drink at occasions like these, so it's pretty amusing to watch others get loose and start doing / saying crazy stuff...significant other's are notorious for this behavior for some reason. However, I don't miss it enough to even register on the desire-o-meter of wanting to attend! Though some of the after-stories do make me wish I'd witnessed certain events! LOL!

Oh I have heard many drunk stories about previous events. People just can't handle their alcohol!

Anyway, I totally agree with your OP. Holiday parties are just about everything BUT "fun"!

It always amazes me how, to some, these holiday parties are such a big deal! And how people try so hard to one-up each other. GACK!

I don't know why we even NEED to have them? Most people would rather not go but go because they feel obligated. I don't feel obligated to anyone, not even family lol I don't care for the holidays because to me they have lost their true meaning and purpose.

As long as you aren't posting in a few months how no one is talking to you at work and you feel like an outcast.

Office politicsdynamicsoptics play a roll in every company and anyone that tells you they don't has never worked in a place with more than 3 people.

Hell I work for a place that people die to get into for culture+campus and as part of that being seen , slightly harder for me as I am remote, is a good thing. Some places I have worked for the Holiday parties were nothing more then a department at a local restaurantbar while others were private rentals of a Dave & Busters or private events at Disney Land. In their own way they all had annoying elements and I also got something from them.

Nothing wrong with going..doing the rounds, laughing at a few dumb jokes and heading home if life allows it.
Or don't go , nothing wrong with that either, just remember you made the choice to not go so if that has some ramification in the future then it's just a consequence you paid for your choice.

a reply to: mblahnikluver


Ours is tomorrow, it'll be another year of hugs and feels from drunken people.

So, in other words, fun.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: mblahnikluver


Ours is tomorrow, it'll be another year of hugs and feels from drunken people.

So, in other words, fun.

Drunken hugs and feels are the best way to find prime sacrifices for the weekend shindigs.