Any one dread "do's" with Christmas looming?

[crosser62]

I don't go to "do's".
I dislike the whole thing intensely and have no qualms in declining all invitations.
I constantly get asked why and never explain the real reasons, I gloss over with excuses about not being able to get out of work/babysitting problems etc but surely I'm not the only antisocial misery guts am I?

If you feel like this, what excuses do you give?

Also, what is the reason that you dislike "do's"?

Well, the only 'do' to which I am invited is the work Christmas do. My job is 24/7 shifts so not everyone can go anyway, but I tell my colleagues the truth: that I don't drink, don't dance, can't go to places with strobe lighting, and can't afford to pay a fortune for a ticket plus dress etc for something that I won't enjoy.

I don't tell them that I am also too introverted and antisocial as I already have enough reasons with the not drinking, don't dance, hate getting dressed up for a night out etc, can't really afford it.
I once worked somewhere where there was the usual 'do' (in an expensive venue, involves drinking to excess and dancing) and then on another date there was a meal in a restaurant for people who couldn't make the first event or didn't want to go to it or couldn't afford it. I went to that as I like eating dinner and can usually cope with the social situation once I get there.

Got the work Xmas do save the date today. It’s festive fancy dress. Yay.

I don't bother with an excuse, I just tell the truth. "not really my thing, thanks for the invite and I hope you all have a great time"

Yes, my job is a 24/7 12 months of the year type so I volunteer to work the do each time one arises.
I don't drink, don't dance, don't have going out clothes and don't have the money and just like you I am introvert and very uncomfortable at social gatherings.
Plus, I don't like half the people that go to these things.
Thanks for replying

I don't go to mine because without going into too much detail, the majority of my work involves me out and about travelling on my own and head office is based in a large city a couple of hours drive away. Xmas party is usually held in that city and it's generally more the office staff that seem to attend anyway as opposed to any of us off site people.

DH isn't going to his this year because so much shit has gone down in the company he works for that he just couldn't be bothered.

I absolutely love my work Christmas do and look forward to it all year! It's properly good though.

Depends on the 'do' but past xmases I Quite simply say 'sorry, not my kind of thing' I ain't paying £40 quid to sit through a crap overpriced meal, and listen to an aweful tribute act can followed by crap DJ. I don't see the point in excuses. Tell it like it is.

However my work has changed and last and this year it's just a meal in town (not even from the Xmas menu. Whoop!!) with drinks after for those that fancy it. I'm just going for the food.

I never go to mine but I don't make excuses, I just say I don't go to stuff like this and don't go! 🙂

Gives me a cold sweat just thinking about it, but in my previous job there would be at least 4 Xmas dos that I was expected to go to every year- a really big one for the whole company, afternoon meal out for the department, evening meal our and drinks for sub-department and then some arsehole festive person would always arrange an evening drink for our smaller team too. It was made clear that non-attendance was viewed as a bad thing, and I have even known it come up in appraisals if someone didn't take part (as in- not really a team player etc).

I hated all of them. Annual requirements to buy several outfits (or know that you will be talked about as wearing the same as last year) when you want to save your money for your family. Requirement to spend even more evenings away from family, at a time when everyone is busy anyway and you're already working late. Plus I didn't really get on with most of the people I worked with. Pretending to find it funny that someone in a senior role is trying to get all the junior staff pissed on shots gets old quickly. I spend each evening waiting until it was late enough to sneak off without being noticed.

I now work in a small business, where no one wants a 'do' of any sort- all agree we just want to spend our evenings with our families. The irony is that on the odd occasion where we do socialise together we actually enjoy it- but just have a low key bite to eat.

Yep, my non attendance has been commented on in my appraisals; I just reiterate I am not participating.

Luckily for me I'm old & bolshy & don't care! 😁

We just have my husband's do. I hate it. They always book one of these forced-fun party nights at a hotel and it's always somewhere very close to where the director lives so that the tight-arsed bastard doesn't have to pay much for a taxi.

He's out-bastarded himself on the work front this year so there's a bit of a boycott going on and very few people are going, unfortunately being a department manager my husband still feels obliged to go. THe colleagues he has that I like are all boycotting it and I've said I'll go but just for the dinner and as soon as the Dave Doubledecks starts playing Take That I'm out of there. Although I'll make sure that I give the expenses account a hammering at the bar beforehand.

I hate them and won’t be going

We tend to go for a nice meal at a posh restaurant
.. no tacky party music and shite food.

I hate work Christmas parties. They are expensive with shite food and awful music or what can loosely be referred to as entertainment. I find socialising with colleagues pointless and awkward. I'm happiest settled quietly at home with a book and a cup of tea.

Our work Christmas party is in November so I am not going for that reason alone!