Are work xmas parties (and bonus) dead?

sweetilemon

In both my jobs we have work nights out but we pay ourselves, manager may buy drinks from their own money. Always get a card from managers and i give my staff a card and present. In the private sector i had a job they had a party/meal/bowling night at any excuse halloween, summer, christmas it was great. They would pay for the meal/bowling and first 2 drinks. Having said that i was volenteer for ages and wasnt paid time, travel, accomodation or expences when on training courses. Swings and roundabouts really. A previous employer gave me a hamper but as i was 18 (not 21) it was minus the alcohol. I do always wonder if the manager took it for herself before giving me it.

Poppy9

I've worked public sector for 30 years so never had a paid for Xmas party/lunch

We organise our own, which we pay for and go for in our own time.

In the office (about 30 of us) we all bring in biscuits or sweets which we put under the tree throughout December.

In the early days we had a buffet and drinks on Xmas eve morning and our boss would always donate a gateaux (just the one between us all:D). We would offer the Director and Council leader a drink when they came to wish us Merry Xmas but we are no longer allowed to have any festivities on the premises so we work as normal on Christmas eve;). Some offices even banned Xmas trees and decorations. We have to decorate our office in our own time but we are allowed to plug in the lights!

Our union organises a Xmas party for members children which costs about £3 per child.

We also donate money instead of sending Xmas cards and make up Xmas hampers to raffle in aid of charity.

Callie22

I used to work for a company that gave a Christmas bonus - we all got £100 in high street vouchers. There was a work Christmas meal out too, which we paid for, and there was was also a company table at a local Christmas do - again if you wanted to go to that you paid for yourself. However it was a god-awful place to work so the bonus didn't really balance that out lol.

Where I work now is public sector, so the only bonus we get is a few hours flexi-time. Parties etc are organised on a departmental basis and if you go out, you pay for yourself. There's nothing really organised on a company level and we don't get cards or anything like that. Tbh, I prefer that to some compulsory Christmas party, they're always generally quite excruciating.

hcb42

I generally find that most nights out are self funded.

an9i77

Most places i've worked have paid for a meal out somewhere nice, or given money towards. Last year it was £15 towards the cost of a meal, but this year scrooge must have joined the ranks as we aren't getting anything. Unless you count the tins of roses they put in every office.

bluenoseam

Mine paid for the buffet at our night out (it wasn't what i'd consider an insignificant amount of money without being "OTT") with the rest of it being self-funded, i'm not expecting a "christmas bonus" given i'm a temp but ultimately i see no point in being given anything like that since the truth is i'm there to do a job - i'm already being remunerated for doing said job! In my most recent "previous" workplace it was a free bar night out culture in the 4 Christmases i did in there, the first 2 we were also given a £20 gift voucher although this stopped when the company started to head into the decline it's in right now, in Gamestation it was just a couple of hours in the pub with no involvement from the company.

Perhaps i'm being a little bit bizzare, but i don't expect anything like that from the workplace, ultimately their responsibility is to adhere to the terms of employment which make no mention of allowances for staff nights out, i see that as a social thing as opposed to a work event to let the staff unwind it has no direct effect on work (unless you count the negative effect of hungover staff the next day) so the company should not be "forced" into paying for it. Some will do so as a measure of gratitude to staff, that is something which will improve morale in the workplace, but should not be expected as the norm.

~_Dragonfly_~

My OH gets treated very nicely at work. He gets a card, a bonus and a Christmas party, meal and drinks all free. Plus other very nice perks and tickets for nights out to various things.
I on the other hand have never been so lucky with any of my jobs.

JDC14

I work for a national leisure company.

The management at our base just had their christmas do, although they shelled out a set amount each the company picked up the majority of the tab. It's not easily done as cover needed to be found, fortunately they're good friends with two guys from another centre who agreed to do it for them.

We (general floor staff) don't get one unless we reach our targets which were massively increased this year (about £100k for the year) but I think we're well on track with it fortunately but that's down to everyone pulling their finger out.

bendix

ska_lover wrote: »

I recognise the employment opportunity by turning up to work each day, no sick days off, and doing my job well, for pay that is not great. On the basis that my manager earns more than double I do, an makes my life difficult all year round by expecting me to do his job as well as my own,constantly takes credit for my work etc, I shan't be offering him a christmas present, no. He will get a xmas card though.

Absolutely, It does work both ways. On the basis that they are offering you a token bonus, will you be offering your boss a christmas present?

I think companys these days are not really bothered about 'goodwill' to employers etc. Or even a pat on the back when you have earned the company 50k in a day would be nice, but no.

Given you're such a valuable employee, and given your company and your manager are so bad, have you ever thought of exercising your freedom of will and taking your fantastic employability to another company?

Or are you in some ways subjected to slavery?

Badger_Lady

jfh7gwa wrote: »

Did you ask for the refund? What did they say was the reason? What happened to the pile of £20s in the end? :eek:

LadyMissA wrote: »

I am guessing that deposits were made and most deposits are non refundable

I guessed that as well... nothing official was ever said though. Our department was split across two geographically distinct offices and the organiser was in the other office. She ignored all my emails and then disappeared in January's redundancies.

It is slightly ironic that, in their efforts to avoid "spending tax payers' money!" publicity, they may have actually spent more or at least an equal amount on cancellation