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 I had to pay for the Xmas party.

Current work place we get a free alcohol to a point all soft drinks are free all night and food is free.

yes but you dont have to go

I’ve never had to pay for a work Christmas party.

My current place, they cover venue, food and x amount of drinks, after that you buy your own drinks. But when I worked at a smaller company, everything was paid for until the FD with the company card went home (which for him was likely to be at the end of the night anyway).

@riromay

Shocked at these comments. I've never worked somewhere that I had to pay.. I barely accept invites and they're paying 😂 I would def decline in that case

I'm surprised that people think it's normal for the employer to pay. As this thread shows, there are millions who have to pay for their own Christmas party.

I've worked for big professional services firms and they've always paid for all nights out. On a regular basis, you could claim a takeaway of your choice and free taxi home if you were still working at 9pm. Funnily enough, there was a mass exodus at 10pm.

Pre the financial crash, the company used to take everyone on an all expenses paid holiday every year. We went to Cyprus and skiing. They also appointed a professional videographer to produce a film for everyone as a memory. I suspect these type of hedonistic excesses are no longer though.

Work would pay for a few drinks at a pub - that’s what a Christmas do means to me. It’s in the evening, so in your own time generally, but because it’s a shift job not everyone could come anyway. But we wouldn’t get a meal.

@Fimofriend

I have never paid for the Christmas party arranged by the company.

Jeez. British workers have so few benefits. If they can't even pay for one measly dinner why even work for the damn cheapskates?

Actually a lot of those saying they have to pay are public sector workers, many of whom will still be on defined benefit pension schemes which is pretty much the most valuable benefit it’s possible to receive. A significant number of British employees, certainly in the public sector will receive greater than minimum holiday allowance, which in itself is 20 days plus 8 statutory holidays and more than many countries and the public sector also get extremely generous sickness leave.

I’ve never worked anywhere where I’ve had to pay, I didn’t realise this wasn’t the norm.

[quote Notbluepeter]@DelphiniumBlue it's £150 per head[/quote]
Extortionate! I definitely wouldn’t be paying that for a work do unless it was at a venue I really wanted to experience. And even then, probably not!

DH's boss is stumping up the equivalent of £25 this year for the Christmas party. Very nice.
Then informs them it's at a hobby specific social club. 23rd December. (They all have kids) The nearest team member is 80 mins away by train.
Something tells me that he perhaps doesn't want to do it.
He has his wish 😆

I’m hoping that the very many people saying they have ‘never worked anywhere they’d have to pay for themselves’ understand that working in the public sector was different.

Where do you think the money would come from?

I'm not sure why people go if they have to pay for themselves.

I'd sooner go out for a meal with friends or family than colleagues.

@Howshouldibehave

I’m hoping that the very many people saying they have ‘never worked anywhere they’d have to pay for themselves’ understand that working in the public sector was different.

Where do you think the money would come from?

Exactly!! I work at a university and we have always pays for our own Christmas night out. Can you imagine the outrage if it was paid for by the university!!

@Snog

I'm not sure why people go if they have to pay for themselves.

I'd sooner go out for a meal with friends or family than colleagues.

I would go. I like my colleagues. I wouldn’t ever expect work to pay - I’m in the private sector.

Local authority job so always had to pay for my Christmas do.

Totally understand the public sector reasons for paying for you own by the way.

But private companies can have events for staff as a tax deductible expense -

I've always paid - financial services, private sector or working in universities.

It's usually £30 and sometimes the boss will cover a tenner a head or similar.

Who else would pay?!

It's expensive though!

@youllneedthisfish

Totally understand the public sector reasons for paying for you own by the way.

But private companies can have events for staff as a tax deductible expense -

Exactly

We will go out and my MD will put his card behind the bar. It’s the least the multi-millionaire can do!

I've worked in public sector, private sector and now for a university. I've always had to pay. Last one was £40. Often the managers might pay for drinks or something but not always.

I have always paid but covid is still around so use that as an excuse!

My last workplace had a big company wide evening do but the individual teams often had lunch the same day, so you'd pay for your lunch and afternoon drinks and then go on to the company do. But we all liked each other and had frequent nights out anyway

One place I worked at took us to a country manor for two nights and did black tie dinner. Full on!

Ours is always paid for, but it’s a very rare company that does, it’s certainly the first company I’ve ever worked for that does

Every public sector organisation I've worked for I've had to pay for my own.

Every private sector organisation I've worked for the company has organised and paid for the Christmas party.