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Office Christmas Party

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  • 04-11-2015 10:13pm
    #1
    Baggy Trousers
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,816 ✭✭✭


    I have to say I love going to the work Xmas party but I am more and more aware that most people see them as a chore in December.
    Why is that?


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    #2
    Loughc
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 24,758 Mod ✭✭✭✭Loughc


    Baggy Trousers wrote: »
    I have to say I love going to the work Xmas party but I am more and more aware that most people see them as a chore in December.
    Why is that?

    December is a busy time of year for people there's lots on and lots to do and everywhere tends to be jammers busy on Christmas nights out not everyone likes a crowded loud pub.


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    #3
    touts
    Registered Users Posts: 6,437 ✭✭✭touts


    I suppose it depends where you work. If it is a young company with young staff and good work environment then it can be great craic. I certainly enjoyed a few Christmas parties like that in the past. But if it is a more conservative place with not a great atmosphere, of if there is some tension in the air then the Christmas party turns into more of a working dinner. Sure you may not discuss work but everyone is watching their Ps and Qs in front of the boss. I've been to a few of those also and where I work now is like that so I've made my excuses already and "unfortunately, my wife has something else on that night and I have to look after the kids".


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    #4
    Staplor
    Registered Users Posts: 1,120 ✭✭✭Staplor


    As Touts says, some jobs have been fun and I loved them, I won't be going this year though, too much crap and sniping going on in my workplace, I can't be arsed spending any time with the group as a whole where I'm not getting money in return. my spare time is my own, it doesn't belong to the man. If they want to do it during work hours, or at lunchtime I'd be there. Friday or Saturday night? Jog on boss.


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    #5
    baby and crumble
    Registered Users Posts: 8,512 ✭✭✭baby and crumble


    I've always been fascinated by the whole "office Christmas party" thing because I've never really worked in a place that has one. The closest I got was in a University where we all got on really well as friends so went out on our own steam. Where I work now (very small charity) goes more for a Christmas lunch with our team and external suppliers we work with and it's really nice. Then again, I don't really like pubs, and I don't really ever drink enough to get drunk, I'm just not arsed.

    Whereas my partner on the other hand works in corporate and her work parties seem mad to me. Champagne laid on all night, managers and directors leave credit cards behind the bar, she's out til 5am, the works. TBH because I work in such a different area (the entire yearly budget of my organisation is probably half the salary of one of the directors where she works) it seems vulgar to me, but hey ho. That's why I don't work in corporate!

    I did hear of a friend of mine who is in charge of organising her office Christmas do. They're going to Prague for a weekend. Can you imagine the HORROR of going on a weekend away with the people you work with? I mean I get on really well with my colleagues but NOPE.


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    #6
    touts
    Registered Users Posts: 6,437 ✭✭✭touts


    All Night Champagne. Credit cards behind the bar. Christmas party in Prague.

    Are you writing from the 1990s? I didn't think anywhere did that sort of thing anymore.


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    #7
    Andrew Laeddis
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 159 ✭✭Andrew Laeddis


    Its bad enough having to spend 40 hours a week with these gob****es without spending my social life with them


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    #8
    baby and crumble
    Registered Users Posts: 8,512 ✭✭✭baby and crumble


    touts wrote: »
    All Night Champagne. Credit cards behind the bar. Christmas party in Prague.

    Are you writing from the 1990s? I didn't think anywhere did that sort of thing anymore.

    I know. I swear to God I'm not making it up. It's unreal.


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    #9
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    touts wrote: »
    All Night Champagne. Credit cards behind the bar. Christmas party in Prague.

    Are you writing from the 1990s? I didn't think anywhere did that sort of thing anymore.
    They sure do. Except maybe the trip away, that seems a bit excessive unless they're getting a very favourable corporate rate. That said, I've worked in places with teams spread across multiple offices who've happily paid for flights and hotels for the entire team to have the Xmas party together.

    Didn't get a Xmas party last year. Company cancelled it because they were up to their tits in trouble. Will miss this years one because we booked a trip away before I knew the date.
    Year before last was a blacktie event in a posh hotel on the Quays.

    Champagne reception, big meal, Casino event - blackjack, etc - where the person who came out at the end with the most chips won a PS4. There were beer "tokens" rationed out, but in reality it was free beer all night as the tokens kept coming whenever you ran out of them.

    Pretty similar setup other years in a previous company, though a bit more restrained. Usually a four-course Christmas dinner with wine followed by a handful of free beer tokens.

    Probably wouldn't be into it if I didn't get along with the people I work with, but then I wouldn't hang around a job like that anyway.


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    #10
    Sunny Dayz
    Registered Users Posts: 5,306 ✭✭✭Sunny Dayz


    I work in a very small company so we just go out for an extended lunch break and have a glass or two of wine. I much prefer it, it doesn't take away from your own time and I still make an effort to get dressed up for it, me sitting in the office in a nice dress and all the make up done!! :D


    The previous place I use to work in had a nice crowd all around the same age and we used to socialise together a few times a year. But yeah the Christmas party was different cos it felt more "forced", and one of the two bosses would attend. The female boss used to make an excuse at the last minute not to attend and leave the male boss to it, he was good at socialising but there was still that air of people holding back in what they said or how they acted cos you knew he would remember everything that happened.


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    #11
    miamee
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Regional East Moderators, Regional North West Moderators Posts: 12,016 Mod ✭✭✭✭miamee


    Sunny Dayz wrote: »
    I work in a very small company so we just go out for an extended lunch break and have a glass or two of wine. I much prefer it, it doesn't take away from your own time and I still make an effort to get dressed up for it, me sitting in the office in a nice dress and all the make up done!! :D


    The previous place I use to work in had a nice crowd all around the same age and we used to socialise together a few times a year. But yeah the Christmas party was different cos it felt more "forced", and one of the two bosses would attend. The female boss used to make an excuse at the last minute not to attend and leave the male boss to it, he was good at socialising but there was still that air of people holding back in what they said or how they acted cos you knew he would remember everything that happened.
    That's why you never get drunk quicker than the boss ;) lol

    In most places I've worked I have looked forward to them. I think it completely depends on the dynamic in your workplace though. If they are people you are happy to chat to in work or go for a pint with the odd Friday then chances are the party will be a bit of fun but if it is a stressful environment or there are personality clashes then it's unlikely to be much craic.
    I can only think of one work Christmas party where things were really bad atmosphere-wise and that was only for a small few of us who were on a very over-worked, stressed-out team who really had no respect or time for our (useless) manager. Manager of course, had a whale of a time and was a loudmouth who loved to be centre of attention so that makes things a tad worse, lol. I think I was happy to leave that one at about 12.30am having stuck it out longer than the rest of my team!


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    #12
    NIMAN
    Registered Users Posts: 33,105 ✭✭✭✭NIMAN


    I used to really enjoy them, the craic used to be fantastic.

    However the last 3 or 4 have been poor enough, and I think it's down to the fact that people were constantly filming on their phones. People were afraid to make a fool of themselves and played it sensible.


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    #13
    miezekatze
    Registered Users Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭miezekatze


    I used to like them, until maybe 5 years ago it was usually held in a function room in a hotel, there was a meal and a band, a bit like going to a wedding I guess. It was fun. Now they just rent an area in a bar, you stand around all night in a crowded / noisy room and get a few drinks and finger food. I went to one or two, it's not my kind of thing, I won't go anymore.


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