Lame holiday parties

[omg-teh-funnay.livejournal.com]

I work as a manager for a technology contractor, and my client is a fairly large bank,

So I just got an email forwarded to me by my manager from our group admin. It's an invitation to the company holiday shindig. It's to be held in a spare conference room, on Thursday, from 3-4, and we're supposed to being our own cookies. It's a "BYOC" party. Yaaay!

One of my guys tells me that they did the same thing last year - cookie party in the middle of the day in the middle of the week. BUT, the kicker is that the client offered to take all of my company's people on a dinner cruise, no strings attached - they were already offering said cruise to their own employees. Management responded that that wasn't really needed, that they had the holidays for us all taken care of - and then the management team went on the cruise. And oh! Look! The client was handing out free iPods to random attendees.

Our team had to bring HOMEMADE cookies, and our managers got a fancy dinner and free iPods. And we're getting the honor of bringing our own cookies again this year

It's no Hot Cocoa Sampler Box (who gets THAT joke?) that I got a few years back that contained a human skull filled with human excrement, but I think that's insulting. The company doesn't owe us a party or a bonus or anything like that. However, I think that if you're going to go through the motions of setting up a party, make it something that doesn't suck. As Mrs teh_funnay said, it's better to do nothing that to have something so low class that really enforces the fact that they don't give a rat's ass about anybody

How many companies still have Christmas/holiday events? Is this normal?

(x-posted to my journal)

Comments

[artistic-chaos.livejournal.com]

We usually have a party (the dress nice and hang out at the CEO's house and drink wine type), but this year we're having a "luncheon," because we did a big 10 year anniversary event earlier in the year..

[thecrazyfinn.livejournal.com]

We got a whole hog event at a fairly swank restaurant. Not open bar, but everything else was covered. Last few years have been catered meals in a rented event hall.

[jecook]

Indeed.

The last place I worked at did have a company meeting/party held off site and that everyone was invited. For the most part, only the management or the supervisory people attended (I was the lone stand out, because my job involved working with these people, and I didn't want to seem anti-social).

The gift exchange was usually somewhere around 50-60% booze/non-booze related gifts, and all of them were under the money cap of $20 or $25.

I was not terribly thrilled about it, frankly.

The place I'm at not offers a christmas bonus to employees that have been there over a year. And it's a pretty nice one, too. I'm looking forward to next year when I'm eligible for it. I don't know if there is a company wide party or what not, but for the poor souls that has to work thanksgiving (of which I was one of them) they had free food for the employees, which was a nice gesture. (normally a meal in the employee cafeteria is something around $2-3, depending on what you get.)

[hisamishness.livejournal.com]

My department (lots of people in several 'areas', actually) has a catered shindig down in a large conference hall for Christmas. They usually get Sony to kick in some gifts for a drawing at the end.

[ravan.livejournal.com]

We don't have a holiday party, we have a post-holiday dinner, catered, at a nice place. No gift exchange, but considering that nearly half the company is jewish (really - the office is about deserted for Yom Kippur), it makes sense. Those that aren't jewish are hindu, jain, muslim, pagan or agnostic.

[viralmemory.livejournal.com]

We're having a re-gifting party, plus lunch. woot.

Christmas/holiday events?

[irishmasms.livejournal.com]

we had ours last friday. dinner & a DJ who sucked.

[redhillian.livejournal.com]

Place I used to be at - drinking then full meal and open bar followed by entertainment, all paid for. Plus owner paid for taxis/hotels.

Current place (2 partner/directors, 2 fulltime staff, myself and 1 other freelancer and a $guru_who_lives_in_the_cupboard) - a couple of rounds of drinks after the last day at the local pub, they buy a round each.

My partner works in local government - various cliques do their own thing, as it's illegal for the council to pay for the party, or something.

[tecie.livejournal.com]

There's kind of a voluntary thing over at a semi-nice restaurant for my unit. Just like last year, I'm declining to go. First off, even if management is paying, what the hell is the point of spending your time being social with people who you're paid to deal with? I'd much rather use the time to catch up on things in a completely deserted office.
When I worked in a helpdesk farm that was staffed 90% by contractors, my contract manager came by with a "gift" for each of us, a fancy looking plastic clock with their logo on it. It broke within 12 hours of me putting a battery into it. I still keep it in my home office as a reminder of the scam artists that the people at Spherion are.
As far as management getting the fancy-pants party, I personally have never been jealous. Think about it -- trapped on a boat, with most likely horrible music, for hours with people who are managers, and therefore in the scheme of things (and hopefully your immediate life) functionally useless or even counterproductive.
Homemade cookies are a wonderful thing. There's no guilt. There's no realistic chance for competition or politics, and you can eat them while you work, with your back turned to the meaningless drivel your coworkers are most likely talking about.

[liakela.livejournal.com]

What My Company Does For Us At Xmas

* A 3-room pavillion is erected in the employee parking lot, one great room where I'd say, conservatively, 50 catering-sized tables are located, as well as 3 'lines' of food: Adult menu, Vegetarian menu, and Kids menu.

* A 'santa' room. Santa is there, with his elves, for the folks who have kids to get their picture taken with him. Bags of cotton candy and candy apples are handed out indiscriminantly (my kids somehow managed to get 3 bags each of the cotton candy. devils.)

* Each person in the company was given a sheet to turn in with the sex and age of their children (if they had any), and in return given receipts that could be turned in at the Santa tent for huge present bags, one for each kid. My 11 year olds (twin boy and girl) got a walkman and a radio with headphones, some books, a basketball, some street chalk, and legos.

* Most people in the company 'won' presents, too. Though some where better than other. A friend of mine got a set of really nice knives (kitchen/cooking sort). I got a huge, flowery sofa coverlet thing.

* We had 'carolers' come in, all dressed in their Victorian finest, and sing for us over dinner.

* We have xmas bonuses as well, the longer you've been around, the larger the bonus, of course.

All in all, it's pretty damned nice, and I feel really fortunate to be working for such a good company.

[insomnius.livejournal.com]

Last year we went hot air ballooning. It meant waking up at 3:30am, but it was really really worth it :D

[mightyj.livejournal.com]

Last year my company did nada, nyet, zip. This year I expect the same.

[brothersterno.livejournal.com]

Last year there employees rented a bar and invited anyone who was not a manager. This is because the last few employee parties were a little expensive and boring (suits + drunks = free booze then afterparty). However, the company was locally infamous as a bunch of hard-drinking partyers with raucous and wild parties, and so when the VC executed their putsch and the suits took over, the good partying was pretty much over. This year, there's a typically corporate party several weeks after X-mass at a downtown hotel. Hell, free-ish booze and dinner, and then everyone takes their taxi vouchers and goes to a bar.

Other companies I've worked for: Good ones = drunken bashes. Bad ones = no party or lame party.

[nomoremystery.livejournal.com]

Apparently there's a company party that we can pay £5 for the "privilege" of attending - I'm not, because apart from having to pay to attend a party thrown by a multi-national corporation, I'm working that night. Anyway, this Thursday, my other job, the cinema I volunteer as an usher for, and which is run on a shoestring, is throwing a party of its own. Yes, it's free. Compare and contrast etc...

[mouser.livejournal.com]

Ours was decent food, as formal as you wanted to be (which meant at LEAST business formal attire!) with LAME prizes/give-aways and party games.

Oh, did I mention the team speeches (plural) we were subjected to?

[jperegrine.livejournal.com]

Ours is actually low on the lameness scale. You and a guest. Nice hotel. Nice catered dinner. Drink tickets with a cash bar when those are gone. Raffle tickets for nice free stuff (last year's included a plasma TV, a nice HUGE bed, iPods, and other generally unsucky stuff). Special rate for those who want to spend the night at the nice hotel. I can't complain in the holiday party department.

[snoopyh42.livejournal.com]

I'm sure we'd do something at my company if it didn't consist of a grand total of 4 people.

[kizayaen.livejournal.com]

My company is having a "Christmas party" (which I suspect will be more of a Christmas lunch) at the (absolutely tiny) Harrisburg, PA office at 1pm on the 18th.

"It would be extra special if everyone could rearrange their schedule to be here on the 18th - including those not scheduled for the day or those working from home."

Yeah. Party: Harrisburg. Me: Atlanta.

I rather think I'm not going to be doing any schedule rearranging.

[meijhen.livejournal.com]

IT services company I currently work for is huge (I worked there for 6 years, left for 18 months, and came back). They do exactly nothing for the regular employees for the holidays -- they used to at least give their employees a holiday gift card thingie, but not anymore. Teams usually do potluck dinner-type things, where perhaps the meat is purchased by the manager & everybody else brings in something on their own dime. Since I am currently the only member of my team in the United States, pretty sure I'll have nothing this year :o)

Last year, when working for a small, non-IT business...now THAT was a shindig. Formal, adults only, attendance mandatory (even the salespeople from around the country had to be there). At a hotel, free beer & wine throughout, good food, band ...of course they did the usual prizes & announcements thing. And they did door prizes as well. Boy, did they do door prizes!!!!! They did five rounds of announcements of door prizes, 3 prizes each time; the cheapest each time was something valued about $250. They had two "grand prizes" -- a Lexus, and a home theatre setup that was just amazing.

It was really incredible. I'll bet they have something equally amazing at my current company..but only for the upper management.

[gilmoure.livejournal.com]

When I worked at a local repair shop (7 employees), I received a $500 bonus (had only been working there for 5 months) and the owner gave us a great dinner at a medium fancy restaurant for employees and dates.

At the small lib arts college I worked at, there was an afternoon turkey dinner (kids were gone for the holidays) and the IT manager usually gifted us each with a bottle of Johnny Walker. Not too shabby. One of the professors would also drop off a case of champagne for IT. Not too bad.

Now that I work at a wholly owned subsidiary of a large aerospace company, we get to have a potluck this Thursday (but still only get a 1/2 hour lunch). We have to take an entire week off during the holidays but only get two days paid. So cool moving up to the real corporate world.

[jenny-islander.livejournal.com]

I used to work for tiny little companies, so we got gift baskets and a bonus or a gift certificate to somewhere really nice. One of my former bosses gave me crystal bowls and vases on every occasion. My husband works for a big building supply company. They do a Christmas party every year with prime rib, free drinks, a Split the Pot raffle, and door prizes. There's a little present from the company for everybody--a jacket, a gift certificate, something--and a Wacky Gift Exchange, limit $20, with at least one ringer in the pile. When your name is drawn, you either pick a gift off the pile or swipe something that's already been unwrapped. Gifts can be swiped no more than twice. Nobody wants to end up with the ringer. (Giant wooden phallic bookends, anybody?) It's a lot of fun.

[255-255-255-0.livejournal.com]

Damn your bosses suck !!!!!!

A mid-week, mid-day, cookie party ! and bring your own cookies WTF !
SO basically they are giving you an hour off to sit in a room and eat your own cookies; while they get an all in river cruise and maybe an ipod or two.

I would be very tempted to boycot the cookie hour and not go.

I really don't want to rub it in it's just so you know not all bosses are like that and yours are just a bunch of

Xmas eve we get a sit down cooked breakfast, finish @ 1pm straight to a function room, open bar, (beer wine, spirits, christmas dinner, back to the bar, free raffle, (enough prizes for nearly everyone) spot gifts for accomplishments during the year, entertainment. All up about 7-8 hours free food, drink and some pressies thrown in.

[jecook]

Heh. Interesting to hear that you had a bad experience with Spherion as well.

Mine can be best described by a link to the offending post.

Entertainingly enough, until I went permanent at my current place, I was still getting the odd email from then which I promptly ignored.

[tecie.livejournal.com]

That's exactly them...
If you ever want to trade war stories, drop me an AIM.

[jecook]

The back story behind that post:

I was working part time for that company (Company ----) at the time, and had been since December 2003. It was not enough money though. I was still getting phone calls from slave traders, so around late June I started taking them seriously, but only for a guaranteed thing.

I did a phone interview with Spherion's client for a contract position that I could work in line with the part time gig I had, and I was going to take it. It sounded like a good deal at the time, and I was getting ready to go in and run through the paperwork to get me in around July 10th or so as a start date.

July 2nd, I found out that afternoon that the only other person in the IT department, and who was also my boss, had passed on overnight.

July 8th, I found out that I was going full time at Company ----, and I had warned the recruiter of that several days previous, as I had heard noises to that effect a few days previous once the company finished mourning. (Bill was the heart and soul for the IT presence at that company; he was quite a remarkable person.) The recruiter was *not* happy when I sent him an email with the news that I went full time. ::rolls eyes::

The way the recruiter treated me after the end result of what happened is IMHO not acceptable. I had warned him that something like this may happen, because the Home office in Tucson was trying to decide what to do, and the local office (which had, and probably still does) act with some independence had decided to take me on full time in order to keep me there to at least maintain some sense of continuity with IT support for that company.

Needless to say, I don't think I'll ever accept a contract offer with Spherion, even if they offer one to me.

[jahbulon.livejournal.com]

Ripped off. If I hadn't been fired two weeks ago I would have gone to the christmas party on Friday. Free. Cruise on Sydney Harbour. Free booze. Free food. Free free free.

Your company sucks. Commiserations :(

[sigurther.livejournal.com]

I'm moderately (and possibly morbidly) curious what the actual verbiage that the Spherion recruiter used which was so offensive.. Mind you, I'm not questioning you, er, well, I am, but I'm interested in details.

[mouser.livejournal.com]

Post a sign outside the door (make sure it's anonymous):

Bring Your Own Cruise

[kizayaen.livejournal.com]

+1

[megpie71.livejournal.com]

Ex-government, me. We got a Christmas party which was usually a bit of a catered dinner, some entertainment, and enough alcohol to float most of the staff, generally at a hall or similar (although one year it was at a pub, and another year was under a marquee on the coldest blinkin' night in ages). Most of the highlights have been staff-provided (the first year had the best one - the IT boys choir, belting out such classics as "YMCA" and soforth, plus a couple of the top-level techs dropping their daks), and we'd be doing fundraising for it virtually from the moment we finished cleaning up after the previous one.

"Secret Santa" was organised separately after a while - not everyone was interested. The agency (and the department it later got shuffled under) didn't bother with anything special for the season (well, aside from the general emails from the CEO and the Minister).

Phone survey call center here. Two parties.

[azurelunatic]

I'm helping organize the interviewers' party. It's on Saturday in the phone goon break room. Main dishes and soda are on the company; the rest is potluck. Random door prizes of varying quality will be had; it's planned to be random gift cards for the good prizes and silly swag of dubious quality for the not-so-good prizes. Either there's going to be a critical mass of sociable & happy people and an excellent time will be had by most, or it's going to be awkward and chilly and a bust. It's been decent fun in past years, though how much fun it is depends on how many friends happen to be there. If you're one of those poor saps who doesn't get along with anybody at work it's got to bite. The party is supposed to be dry, though since the "Do Not BYOB" part got left off the invitations, gods alone know what's going to happen.

I've been told that I need to bring enough fudge for everybody, because I signed up on the potluck list for "near-lethal fudge" and got everybody curious. (Once upon a time, when the fudge didn't fudge because I got the recipe a little dodgy, I decided to thicken it with powdered sugar. It was 2 am. It seemed like a good idea at the time. My diabetic Business professor had a piece and konked over in a sugar crisis in the staff lounge. Woops. Everybody agreed that aside from that it was really good.)


The management/staff party is on Thursday afternoon. I'm *not* organizing that. It's at a nearby hotel, with two drinks (and presumably a cash bar after that) and snacks. This'll be my first time there. I hear tales that random drunken antics are fairly common at that one.

[zig-mover.livejournal.com]

Nothing big at my 20-ish employee company, but my boss treats us to dinner somewhere local. One year it was the Super Chinese Buffet, and the next year it was a nicer Chinese place. It's nice when I'm scheduled and don't have to punch out to go eat free food, but I doubt I'll go this year if I'm off that day.

Christmas bonuses aren't huge, but maybe since I'm about to hit my 4-year anniversary with the company I'll get something larger.

[tnjade.livejournal.com]

Yay for the hot cocoa sampler box! That's one of the best threads evar.

[omg-teh-funnay.livejournal.com]

You win! Yeah, that was a great one to watch. I don't think I participated, but DAMN it was funny.

I knew there had to be some crossover here :)

[omg-teh-funnay.livejournal.com]

I'm not jealous of the cruise. That was last year, I wasn't onboard yet. I mention it for comparison only. Management blocks an attempt by the client to do something good for the workers, and then takes full advantage of the something good for themselves, and sees nothing wrong with it.

I'm offended that they're half-assing it. When I worked for $Online_University, there was no Christmas party - but that was A-OK, because the managers took pretty good care of us. Thos of us working THankgiving and Christmas Days, had our own employee-organized potlucks, and that was a great time.

Like I said, I don't feel a sense of entitlement in regards to bonuses and parties. Really, they don't owe us that. The only things they OWE me are spelled out in my contract.

BUT, if you decide to throw a Christmas party for your employees, I think you have an obligation to put a modicum of effort into it. The email says that coffee, tea and cocoa will be provided, like Management is gonna bring in hot beverage service. That'd be nice, if that wasn't already something that the client did as a matter of course. Our little cookie party will just have drinks raided from that area's kitchen.

Most of the people I work with are, fortunately, folks that I like to hang out with socially. We play WoW and board games and go on drinking binges. Spending a little extra time with them isn't a big deal. THough I totally understand the being able to get more things done in a quiet office. Wouldn't THAT be nice?

[japester.livejournal.com]

I missed out on my office christmas party this year, because we were given 6 days notice for it. (Notice on Monday for party on Sunday). Which pissed quite a few of us off, as we had plans which could not be changed. I for one, was on the other side of the country being loved by my girl.

From what I heard, it was a decent lunch, with an open tab at the bar, which annoyed me that little bit more. I missed out on socialising with my workmates I like!

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

I never really got the attraction of company Christmas parties. Don't these people normally have to pay me to tolerate their presence? :)

#include scrooge.h

Meh. I've written, directed and performed in entire office-party Christmas carolling/skit productions, so it's not unwillingness. Maybe it's just a desire for partitioning, keeping work separate from personal. That way, I can switch gigs without losing friends, and problems with friends or family won't affect my workplace.

[coraon.livejournal.com]

being a pagan in a christan office sucks, I would love to work in a mostly jewish office.

[coraon.livejournal.com]

when I worked at $crappy_ATM_maker they would throw the worst friggen parties. They would do somthing like a boat cruse, but no wives 1 drink min and max formal and thats it. I would have considered going honestly but I found out that the desk dosnt get to go because we have to be "on call" 24 7 even if we are not sechedualed and have booked the time off for the party.

Managment had the policy that the helpdesk people were not "part of the company family" and trieated us like the "company servents" even put a securty cam into the helpdesk...and not the rest of the building so they could monitor us after hours. I'm glad I'm done with them.

Random Parties

[lepermime.livejournal.com]

I currently work for two companies, one on a contract basis and the other full time.

Last week the contract company invited me to their office party. It was hosted after hours at a local nice steak house. The owner covered full expenses and two drinks for everyone. He handed out door prizes worth anywhere between 25 and 100 bucks. Everyone got to come away with something at the end. There was much fun to be had.

The full time company, at least management, doesn't really do anything. They employees however usually pull together and do something for which management then takes credit for in the end.

Too bad the job roles aren't switched.

[anamacha.livejournal.com]

Here at Company W they treat you really pretty well. Last year we had a really swank holiday party at a hotel, with a casino night, auction for gifts (both good & gag gifts), a catered prime rib dinner, a cash bar (with one or two coupons for 'free' drinks), a dessert buffet & dancing afterwards. Oh, and s shitload of door prizes. It was a seriously cool event; we won 3 prizes totalling about $500 worth of goods.

This year the event is in a few days, and it's going to be a "family" event -- at a recreation facility with laser tag, games, etc etc etc. Not sure how that's going to turn out -- but the company picnic went fairly well. So.

[darkblade1.livejournal.com]

Get this, we always have a very nice Christmas party at lavish places here in San diego, but this year it was cancelled. Why? Due to lack of budget. Ever since we've gotten a new CEO, shit has gone to hell here. I need out!

[tnjade.livejournal.com]

:) Did you watch the "slatted chair" thread? I laughed 'til I cried!

[liquidmercurial.livejournal.com]

The best one we had was at the Science Center (huge 3 story museum downtown) with free booze, free food, prize giveaway, casino and all during the Titanic touring exhibit. That's the best company party I have been to yet.

[darkblade1.livejournal.com]

Ok now i'm curious...what are these 2 threads you speak of?? :)

[tnjade.livejournal.com]

Alas, I've lost the original link for the hot cocoa sampler box here it is! (http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=763896), but here's what Wiki says:

Hot Cocoa Sampler BoxAlways mentioned in boldface, this phrase was born out of a comment thread comparing readers' worst Christmas bonuses. An example: "You only got $500? That's still better than a Hot Cocoa Sampler Box.

Slatted chair thread (http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=2018473)