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Do you do the Christmas work do?
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No. And yes I'v been called a misser guts, to which I just said yes I am.£71.93/ £180.000
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The 'best' one I went to was when I worked in the Tax Office, apparently I had a great time in the stationery cupboard with a very cute guy from Audit! Strange part was I wasn't actually at the party as I was miles away in Scotland with my then boyfriend. shame I missed it as the Audit guy was gorgeous and I broke up with my boyfriend in Scotland lol!0
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One of the great things about self-employment is that I don't have to spend £50 to end up seated next to people I barely know for an entire evening, whose beverages I will be subsidising as I barely drink and it's always "Let's just split the bill evenly, yeah?" at the end of the night. I was on a long-term freelance contract until earlier this year that meant I did still have to either attend or make up an excuse, but this year I'm finally, really free. It hit me last month and I was incredibly happy about it.
If you can have a relaxed time at a reasonable price with people you get along with, great, but it's rarely been that way at offices I've worked in.0 -
When I worked at Tesco, our xmas do's were fun. They were free, we were allowed 4 tickets, so could bring partner and a couple of friends. The food was a buffet (and all from Tesco of course!).
Does anybody's workplace hold parties for children? My ex worked for the post office and as well as the adults party, they had a party for the kids with a Father Christmas who gave a present to each child. Our kids loved going.
They did the same at one of my husband's workplaces and we were shocked that the presents Father Christmas gave to each child cost about £10-£15! Very generous.0 -
Iv'e been in my job for 30+ years and used to go but I haven't been for several years-it's an expensive night out and I don't really drink,people end up arguing how much they should pay-one year someone came out without any money on him! They don't bother asking me now and that's fine,I'd rather spend my money on other things.0
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I don't usually attend these things, but the charity I used to volunteer/worked at made it plain that as 'staff' I was expected to attend their 'Christmas' Party for ALL (that's volunteers, staff, clients, local bigwigs, and anyone who wanted to pay for a ticket plus meal).
meal was prebooked and not wanting yet ANOTHER roast dinner I went for the veggie option, mushroom stroganoff.
ok so after paying tickets and meal for OH and myself that's more than £50 gone, we go to venue. (about 300 people turn up).
start with the usual speeches and a few fundraising events...............ok another £30 gone. the raffle tickets were £10 each!!!!
sit down for the meal - and quickly notice there are only two servers plus the hotels manager...............wait three quarters of hour for starter. its ok but not exactly 5*.
mains come and after half an hour OH gets his roast beef dinner - I am still waiting 15 minutes later along with a few other veggies at our table (its 25 feet long - its like being at school).
my dinner is put in front of me and I stare in disbelief - mushroom stroganoff served with boiled and roast potatoes, cabbage, sprouts, carrots Yorkshire pudding and gravy!!!!!!!!!!!! I think 'well at least they didn't put the gravy on the strognanoff and try it - oh my lord!!! tinned mushrooms in packet mix - there were even bits of the powder in it! I am starved as its gone ten by now. couldn't eat it. neither did the others - many of them real vegetarians who were rather upset by the gravy and Yorkshire pudding!
dessert was so long coming, we left because I was starving, and went to a Chinese takeaway on the way home.
the centre manager was not pleased with me the next day for leaving early. Tough sh!te. I was nearly £100 out of pocket, my meal was disgusting, OHs was mediocre, and I wasn't in the best of moods! she very quickly backed down.
my OH goes out with his department (there is only about six of them left and when he started there was over a hundred and they had a proper works do with wives and partners invited). the company pay the food bill.0 -
No I have been to them in the past. I would rather spend money on family, and time is precious. I spend enough time with work colleagues at work. I don't want to see them outside it too!0
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I used to love the work do`s when I worked for a smallish family-run nursing home, boss got folk in to cover the night shift so we could all go along, and it was always a good night out, despite the range of ages present, we had fun together!
Once a colleague suggested that we have a do without partners/ spouses being invited as "it cramps your style" , but I said that my definition of Style didn`t include cramp... and we went on as normal, everybody welcome.
When I went back to hospital work, I didn`t go on the do because I was new and someone had to work so I volunteered. Hearing the feedback after it I was glad I`d missed it, and have since never gone on any ward do`s.
Never regretted it, as there`s always something that folks are chewing the fat about afterwards. Not my idea of fun, and usually quite expensive.
I do get on really well with my colleagues, just don`t want to mix business with pleasure, and as I`m happy to admit I`m a boring old fart who doesn`t stay out late but happy to work a late shift on the day they don`t moan at me for it!0 -
Avoid it like the plague.
Not spending money to spend time with people I haven't chosen.0 -
Generally speaking, I don't socialise with work colleagues - I don't go on any birthday or leaving pub crawls, it's just not my scene - and they know not to bother asking me. I certainly don't ever feel the need to justify why I'm not going and I don't think I'm ever missed
When it comes to Christmas, it's a different matter at my current workplace and there are a few different events going on. Some I attend, some I don't.
There isn't a way to get out of the daytime Christmas lunch without taking a day's holiday and often, it's tied in with a staff conference thing which we are required to attend. In the organisation's defence, it doesn't cost staff anything and my only grumble with it this year is we are going back to the same place as last year where the food was inedible. I did half-jokingly asked if we're going back because they got a discount as apology for last year's fiasco but I just got blank stares :-D
Previous years it has been elsewhere and has always been fine. We go to the venue for lunchtime (or morning if it's a staff day) and the festivities usually end about 3-4pm and everyone is free to go. Many colleagues then go to town for a pub stagger and I usually get picked up and go home for a lovely evening with my OH. Much better
Aside from the official lunch, there's often an informal night out. That one I always think I'll judge on merit but I haven't ever been to one. It's always midweek (why?) and involves some dodgy activity (this year bingo. Hmm) and copious amounts of alcohol. I wish them well and leave them to it.
My OH's company organise a fabulous do, for staff and partners with just a contribution of £5 each. It's usually at one of several venues on rotation. We've been every year except but there's no pressure if you don't want to go, no questions asked. His colleagues are a) great and b) grown upsand I really like lots of them. We usually get collared by my OH's director and invited to sit on what we affectionly call 'the director's table' with all the bosses and my OH's closest work colleague. The colleague retired this year but is invited (that's how great they are) so it will probably be same again. I genuinely like him and his wife and my OH's boss and it's a far cry from forced jollity with people you wouldn't ever opt to spend time with.
Islandmaid - well done you for what you said. I've never gone down that route and usually find just a simple 'I don't want to but you all have a lovely time' has sufficed. But more power to your elbow for telling it like it is!Progress not perfection.
Seen on a mug: "I'm not so good with advice. May I interest you in a sarcastic comment?"0
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