Have just been asked to pay £45 for Xmas do

[youllneedthisfish]

Aibu to think that you shouldn’t have to pay for your own Christmas party/meal? Have just been asked for £45 for the Christmas do at the job I’ve just started (in an office) - it’s this usual? Can’t afford and embarrassed to say no

I’ve never worked anywhere that I have had to pay for my own Christmas do,(current firm pays for staff and their partner) but have a lot of friends who pay every year for theirs

NHS worker here, £74 each is the going rate this year for our Xmas party. I think that's a fair price tbh.

I’m paying £10 for our Christmas night out (which is being held in January). You always pay towards a Christmas night out.

I’m also an NHS worker too!

I can’t believe these comments! I have never worked somewhere where I have had to pay for myself.

I've never worked anywhere that I haven't had to pay

I’ve gone from one extreme to the other, from trips to New York to not a free bean.

Same job private sector to public sector.

I'm on a very low wage but don't think £45 is that bad for a 3 course meal. Not sure if anything is involved on top. People who are paying £10/20 I assume they are being subsidised?

Tbh I'd be quite cheesed off about paying. Every company I've worked at it's been paid for, and I've had some really exceptional Xmas parties, (putting us up in 5* hotels overnight for example all paid for by the company) only 1 time in 2019 where we did have to pay £60 (£20 over 3 months pay) although in previous years we didn't have too and everyone agreed it was ridiculous and if we had to pay again we'd not be going, so this year they're not charging us. imo I think it's ridiculous to pay. Like it should be a way to give back to your employees to celebrate the year. If you can't afford a Xmas party as a company without making your staff pay for it then don't have one.

I’m NHS so any christmas event we pay for ourselves.
The band 7 once gave me a boiled sweet on Christmas Day though, bonus!

@Joesmummy1 our school governors used to provide tea/coffee termly to staff. They stopped about 5 years ago and now people buy their own.
I don’t drink hot drinks so never benefitted from this but it was a nice gesture from them

Yes, we have to pay for tea, coffee, milk. We have to pay if we want the leftovers of school lunch or even just some leftover soup and have to pay towards flowers/cards sent to staff who are long term unwell or suffering a bereavement etc. Many of us are on or close to MW. We certainly aren't getting a free Xmas knees up 😆

My workplace very kindly provides free tea, coffee and still and sparkling water. And a highly subsidised canteen.

I work in the public sector - there would be a hue and outcry if work paid for an Xmas meal.

£45 would depend on what you got for it. I paid that a few years back but this was a 4 course boozy meal with a free drink.

Free drinks, I should say

The company should always pay. I'm surprised at how many people on here contribute themselves!

Where I work, everyone has to pay for themselves. £45 is a lot though. I never go.

The company should always pay. I'm surprised at how many people on here contribute themselves!

The people educating your dc and treating you and your family in hospital etc are paying for ALL of their Xmas night out, not just contributing

Find an excuse, do not pay, do not go.

@StargazerAli

The company should always pay. I'm surprised at how many people on here contribute themselves!

Not if you're an NHS or public sector worker. If our employers paid for our Christmas do, we would effectively be spending taxpayers money.

I'll be honest, I haven't read the full thread, but...

At my place (education), if you'd like a Christmas lunch when the children are having theirs, it's £4.86.

I used to work in retail Years ago we always got a budget per head and then if we hit targets we'd get a bigger kitty of money for a more Flash night out

Since then I've worked for local authority and the nhs so always paid myself

We've been advised not to go out as a department this year tho sort of not officially but memo's have come out but if whole departments go out the management are worried about it affecting patients care which makes perfect sense - I'm not bothered either way to be honest they'll be other chances to go out

My work gives us £35 a head for Xmas parties, any more than that and we contribute the difference.

When I worked for a private company it was all paid for dinner, drinks, hotel and travel.

Most of my career has been in the public sector where it is normal for you to pay for yourself.

£12
Buffet in the pub.
Good company and we will have a great time for not much money.

You’ve been v lucky then. I doubt anyone in public sector has ever been paid for, imagine the Daily Mails reaction- taxpayers are paying for hospital staffs Xmas lunches! Shock, horror!! Despite the fact that the private sector will write it off as tax deductible.
Don’t go is my advice, they’re awful events, just because you work with people do you really want to see them pissing up a wall or vomiting in the gutter - or worse!

If you work in the NHS and want a Christmas dinner you pay. Maybe private businesses are different.