Christmas Work Parties

[Hoolahoophop]

Just wondering what expectations are?

Does your company pay for a works party?
Are you expected to pay yourself?

Previously we have had an office party - they put on some hot and cold buffet snacks and cold drinks (no alcohol we all drive) and a meal at a local restaurant partners included all paid for.

Is this usual?

Last year they offered a more 'team building' experience (bowling) couple of games paid for and snacks, some people went on for dinner together after but this was not paid for. - seemed a bit tight to me compared with previous years.

Just wondering what the norm was.

Thanks.

At my work there's no office party as such - Covid put paid to that and things haven't really got back to normal since - but individual teams get a (reasonably generous) budget to go out for a meal. Suits me better than a party, tbh

I know a lot of people in lots of careers but genuinely don't know anyone who works anywhere where their Christmas meal and drinks are paid for. I'd say that was very unusual these days and even more so to have partners paid for too.

When I was teaching we would have a half day and then drink, nibbles and leaving speeches in the staff room at the end of each term and a more substantial lunch and staff award ceremony tagged on at christmas.

Other informal evenings were arranged and paid for by staff, bingo etc or the pub.

My current employer has a sport and social fund which subsidises activities. Theis year there are a few options:
Glass blowing - make your own bauble and Christmas afternoon tea
Panto and meal
Meal and clubbing
Depending on what staff fancy doing, staff pay some S&S pay the rest

Ours is paid for, we get a set amount about 40 quid per person. My old job in a university wasn't paid for so we didn't always do one.

When I was teaching we would have a half day and then drink, nibbles and leaving speeches in the staff room at the end of each term and a more substantial lunch and staff award ceremony tagged on at christmas.

I'm going to guess this was a private school?

We have a paid for Christmas meal and drinks at lunchtime on a Friday, during the working day so no partners. The bar bill gets paid early evening and then those that want to carry on do so funded by themselves! But it's paid for probably from 12-6pm. This is private sector consultancy.

I work in the NHS.
If we want a party we have to pay for everything ourselves. I doubt the tax paying public would approve of us having fun at their expense.

I used to do a half day in the office, down tools, head out to lunch. We'd cover the meal, then book a table with paid drinks elsewhere, and people could head off whenever they fancied post meal.

We also did a monthly team pizza and film afternoon, and a separate monthly coffee morning, paid for on the company.

My current place has a budget of £25/head. I have to pay substantially more than £25/head and rush around sorting childcare to travel 2h to get there, to then spend more on food and drink. Needless to say, I'm going to find that childcare is mysteriously unavailable.

Civil servant. If we want a party, we'll have to pay for it. Ditto Christmas meal. My DC work in the private sector . Every work related social they've been to has been paid for by their firms.

My previous employers (international consulting company) would allow you to go early on the last working day before xmas, as long as you’d made up the hours beforehand. Any outings or meals were arranged and paid for by ourselves.

Each team has a lunch out, paid for by the company.

Then separately we have a company Xmas party - that’s in the evening with drinks and canapés and a DJ etc. Company pays for it.

We used to have a company Christmas party where they’d book a fancy hotel and pay for our (and partners, if they wanted!) meal, drinks (used to be free bar all night but they changed that in more recent years!), a DJ, our hotel room for the night if we wanted it etc. Not quite a black tie do but certainly very fancy, and so fun to get dressed up. I don’t work there anymore and I feel so left out now when I see anything posted on social media afterwards 😂

We get £50 for a party. Normally we'd use it for a meal with the immediate time but our director has decided with 3 weeks notice that he wants to arrange a party for 200 people with that budget. I say good luck to him and am expecting that we will have a small team Xmas meal in the NY when he fails to deliver. We also get Xmas lunch in the canteen....

Party in a pub near each office site with two drinks tokens and a buffet, most likely a quiz or bingo type activity. Generally the managers clear off after the quiz and everyone else gets tanked up.

We also get £25 a head equivalent for a team lunch but no option to have the cash or join a different team. In London it’s not easy to find Christmas lunch at that price (as the team lead is a raging snob).

I work in the public sector and have always had to pay towards a party, buffet, disco,meal. My DH is in corporate and they get a luxury hotel, fuel, all meals and drinks paid for and often a nice activity, oh and a bonus. X

We get a party at a venue shared with othe companies, taxis are paid for so that we can have a drink. Full meal, dancing, wine included. All paid for by the company.
it’s the only time we really socialise and is fun so I try. It yo miss it.

No idea, I never go. I hate every last one of them in that fucking building and there's no way in hell I'd spend my own time anywhere with them.

I'm also public sector so we pay for a meal out. I am a rare mumsnetter who actually likes her colleagues. I'm looking forward to it.

Ours are amazing, fancy venue, champagne drinks then sit down dinner with seating plan, speeches and then dancing with drinks and nibbles.
All staff is included from equity partners to canteen staff, permanents and contractors, and the seating plan is made so people from different business lines and seniority mix.
Always well attended.
I work for a private bank.

Our team manager gets £45 for each of us for meal/drinks

Public sector so no freebies

we have a quiz and nibbles on the day of the christening party and then out to dinner and whatever else after

dh private firm used to do a free dinner and dance for staff and partners and now its just a dinner out for staff….it is still paid for though

Public sector here. We pay for it ourselves. My husband works in the private sector and gets it paid for 👎

Public sector - my own team are a bunch of misers and managers don't bother. However me and a few colleagues have tagged on to another team who take pity on us and let us tag along with their do. We have to pay for ourselves.

I did have a lovely manager a few years ago who paid for everyone's lunch and drinks.

The very thought makes me feel ill.
I just say no.
One of my worst nightmares- and to pay for it too!
No thanks

Fully paid for including hotel for the night. Off the to a venue in central London for dinner and dance. Including partners paid for too