Christmas lunch / party

xbrenx

I'm in the wrong job!

I work for a smallish chain of petshops with head office being north, a few shops south. They have a party where head office is but don't invite the southerners - I assume they think we wouldn't want to drive but they've never given us the opportunity. We did ask one year for an allowance to have our own meal but got turned down.

We do go out for a meal as a team but have to fund it ourselves and it's out of working hours.

Shame on them.

InsideInsurance

Current client - department after work meal/drinks self funded

Prior client 1 - (1) department after work drinks/ nibbles company funded for all plus (2) company after work party with entertainment, food & drinks company funded but for employees only, could leave early if travel required

Prior client 2 - (1) team after work drinks/ nibbles paid for by manager plus (2) department after work meal/ drinks company funded

Prior client 3 - (1) team after work drinks/ nibbles paid for by manager plus (2) department late lunch meal/ drinks director funded and (3) after work party with entertainment, food & drinks company funded

LadyMissA

nirelandguy wrote: »

Our company is fantastic, can anyone beat this? They have a dinner, its at night so no time of, they book the restaurant but you have to pay for your own meal, needless to say its only the brown nosers that go.

yeah I can top that with nothing at all

Tigsteroonie

Our team meal is booked for "high tea" (4:30) so presumably those attending will be starting to get ready form 3:30 onwards, leaving about 4pm.

I'm not going. Do I (a) kick up a stink and say that I want to finish early too, or (b) sneak out five minutes after they've all gone?

SarEl

Christmas parties - the biggest cause of disciplinaries and dismissals after Facebook! It's amazing what people will say/do after a drink or two. You have been warned...

dark_lady

SarEl wrote: »

Christmas parties - the biggest cause of disciplinaries and dismissals after Facebook! It's amazing what people will say/do after a drink or two. You have been warned...

Of course it is actually possible to go to a party and not drink alcohol.

SarEl

dark_lady wrote: »

Of course it is actually possible to go to a party and not drink alcohol.

I entirely agree - which is why I posted the warning. It is both possible to not drink alcohol or to drink sensibly - I made no assumptions in either direction. I was simply warning people that works socials gather more than their fair share of disciplinaries and dismissals - and whether they are in working time or not isn't relevant.

agrinnall

xbrenx wrote: »

I'm in the wrong job!

I work for a smallish chain of petshops with head office being north, a few shops south. They have a party where head office is but don't invite the southerners - I assume they think we wouldn't want to drive but they've never given us the opportunity. We did ask one year for an allowance to have our own meal but got turned down.

We do go out for a meal as a team but have to fund it ourselves and it's out of working hours.

Shame on them.

I could be wrong (haven't worked for the last 3 years so my Christmas party knowledge is a bit rusty) but I seem to remember that for a company to subsidise their employees that has to be offered to ALL employees, not just a subset. Somebody else may be able to confirm or contradict this, but if it is the case then I would get back on to head office and point it out to them.

Uncertain

agrinnall wrote: »

I could be wrong (haven't worked for the last 3 years so my Christmas party knowledge is a bit rusty) but I seem to remember that for a company to subsidise their employees that has to be offered to ALL employees, not just a subset. Somebody else may be able to confirm or contradict this, but if it is the case then I would get back on to head office and point it out to them.

No.

Providing the firm doesn't discriminate in one of the legally prohibited ways (race, religion, gender etc) they can do what they like.

Uncertain

I really do wonder how many people actually honestly enjoy the "works do". I suspect it is not many!

It is like a lot of things we all (well most of us) get swept up in because we don't have to courage not to conform.

If the firm was paying I would much rather have the cost as a bonus and spend the money on doing something I would enjoy with my own choice of friends.