Sorry, I mention Xmas in this message

pandapaws

Nobody ever wants to take responsibility for the Xmas party at our place, so I did this year, and we're having a party at our house (I suggested the house party idea, someone else said it should be at our house because of the location/size). I'm hoping it won't cost us anything as it will be a 'bring your own' occasion. And an reason to get on top of the housework before Christmas!

Year before last we paid £35 a head (i.e. £70) for some cold turkey and some bloke playing 'Come on Eileen' so loudly that we couldn't hear a thing anyone was saying (unlike some of you, we all work shifts so it's nice to see people outside work and catch up). Most of us agreed we didn't want that this year so we're doing the party thing instead. But there are still a few who feel we should have a night out...fine - go on and organise one as well! But from what I've heard there won't be many takers as we're all openly skint. If it's a cheap meal out/lunch then I'll go, otherwise not a chance.

beckseven

I can't stand people who say that you 'have' to go to these things. In the past I've always gone because my company pays £18 towards it and the managers buy the drinks which is really good-however this year I'm going to be extremely pregnant so can't face being in a disco atmosphere. However my friends have no kids yet and are constantly asking me to go out for expensive meals and spa days which are 'cheap' at £99 for the day. I have to keep making excuses but it's so hard and a bit embarassing because they are just living in a different world to me. One of my friends was telling me the other day about the bedroom furniture she was buying that was £12,000 and I was sort of nodding away as if it was normal but thinking-I could live on that money for a year! They are lovely but I don't think they realise what a budget I'm on-smart price!

bathgatebuyer

That's the worse thing I found is that they add this feeling of compulsion to the Xmas do. Admittedly my closest colleague and my boss know the situation I was in a few years ago and are really supportive and know that when I take a step back from things like this, it's not that I don't want to spend time with people I work with (they are all really nice), but I just can't justify wasting £100 or so on a night out or a days clay pigeon shooting or something.

My previous employer was a complete git however. It was he who came out with the, "You're not even coming to the Xmas party..........you're not part of the team" and completely ignored the fact that I lived a 6 hour round trip away and did that every day just to work for him. Complete and utter plonker. I'm still seething at that sad little man and his idiotic notion of what made a good employee or not. Grrrrrrr.

GirlRacer_2

Every year at Christmas time me and 3 other friends go to the Worcester fayre. We share the cost of a room in a TRavel Inn, share the petrol cost and go in one car and all go out for anice mal in the evening. It costs roughly about £40 in total and it's much more enjoyable than going somewhere I don't want to be, with a bunch of people I don't particularly like, eating overpriced food, either getting drunk and suffering the next day or staying sober and watch everyone make a fool of themselves. Bah Humbug

lunar

Our works christmas involves the following

Night out (£30 for meal and 1 drink) + transport + drinks + clothes
Secret santa (£10)
raffle tickets for ward you are expected to pay £5 for this
Raffle tickets/charity donations for everyones childrens school, about £20
Donation of items for hamper to raffle, must be from m&s
Donation of other raffel items
Contribution towards patients gifts, they ask for £5
Bring food for patients christmas party
lunch in the hospital dining room £15
If you work christmas day you still have to bring all food yourself and everyone wants to go ott with this
Then to top it all off, 1 full day of your unpaid time to set up patients party, shop for it, clean after it, and be ecpected to be able to assist 1 years worth of patients on the ward al at the same time.

I know i sound really mean, but if you try and avoid even one part of it, even a single raffel ticket you are condemmed! i love christmas but its beyond a joke at work. And for all this our boss didnt even get around to sending us a card last year! (that reminds me, we have to all put in £4 for a gift for him)

lilmissmup

God i feel lucky reading this thread.

Our boss pays for the main event, any additional drinks we pay for ourselves (he gets us a few bottles of wine) and we do secret santa for £5 so still costs involved but not as much as some of yours.

I wouldn't go if i had to pay.

I do go on nights out with the girls from work every few months though and pay but thats ok cos we can have a good session slagging off the bosses whom are all male

chevalier

lunar wrote: »

Our works christmas involves the following

Night out (£30 for meal and 1 drink) + transport + drinks + clothes
Secret santa (£10)
raffle tickets for ward you are expected to pay £5 for this
Raffle tickets/charity donations for everyones childrens school, about £20
Donation of items for hamper to raffle, must be from m&s
Donation of other raffel items
Contribution towards patients gifts, they ask for £5
Bring food for patients christmas party
lunch in the hospital dining room £15
If you work christmas day you still have to bring all food yourself and everyone wants to go ott with this
Then to top it all off, 1 full day of your unpaid time to set up patients party, shop for it, clean after it, and be ecpected to be able to assist 1 years worth of patients on the ward al at the same time.

I know i sound really mean, but if you try and avoid even one part of it, even a single raffel ticket you are condemmed! i love christmas but its beyond a joke at work. And for all this our boss didnt even get around to sending us a card last year! (that reminds me, we have to all put in £4 for a gift for him)

!!!!!!? Jeez I would stand condemned then. There is NO WAY on Gods green earth I would pay up for all of that. Ok if I liked a raffle prize then fair enough, or if the organisation was one I ususally support, but other than that no way.

DON'T THEY KNOW THERE IS A RECESSION ON........!

Numpty_Monkey

I'm sort off in a quandery about this years christmas do(bah humbug)

The works do is free and at work,
where I work is a very strange place, hard to explain

I help set everything up (just the muscle)
so by the time it comes I'm !!!!!! of with it all

the quandry comes from do i not go and risk missing out on the free shares,
i think not going last year cost me on that one
or going and spending money on the taxi home, listening to the drunk !!! kissers and total knobbs from the offices


I think I've talked myself into going

pandapaws

Wonder if we'll get our usual Xmas bonus this year? Our work give us £100 every year but this year they've been on a major cost-cutting mission - even coffee has been removed! £200 would certainly come in handy!

MargB

We usually get the staff Yule party paid for. Went last year for the first time ever and it wasnt too bad. Traditional meal and a disco and a casino-type thingy after.

As usual me and my mate were first up on the dance floor.

But I wouldn't have gone if I had to pay for it. I'd rather spend that money on a meal out for me and the OH