Work Christmas do

[Sparklesandspandexgallore]

Hi,

Just thought I’d start a conversation about how others feel about their work’s Christmas do.
I won’t be going to mine- again.
Reasons:

1. there is zero employer contribution. All employees pay for absolutely everything themselves.
2. It falls on my birthday weekend so I’ve made plans to do something else.
3. my work bestie refuses to go.
4. I’m not close enough to those that go to warrant spending £££ on an evening out with them.
5. the last one I attend, I ended up having to sit next to a new employee whom I had never met. It was ok but bearing in mind I had to pay for the entire evening, I did feel miffed that I couldn’t sit on the same table where my closest work colleagues were seated.

How dues anyone else feel?
I imagine if the event us free it makes a difference.

I always go and look forward to mine because my colleagues are fun, but we’ve changed it to a lunch instead of dinner now and everyone prefers that generally. The non-drinkers can just slide off and enjoy the rest of their day if they don’t want to stay out afterwards, no pressure to stay and listen to the terrible DJ at an evening do. This year it’ll depend on the date as I’m away a weekend in December and DH is away the following weekend so I won’t be able to make either of those.

I never go to mine. It’s public sector so I would have to pay for myself which I can’t afford so I don’t go. I do like my work colleagues but I do already spend a lot of time at work so I don’t also want to spend my free time with work colleagues. For me it’s too much. No one has ever questioned my choices. Whatever the date I always say no thanks, it’s my sisters birthday so we are
going out for her birthday. Her birthday is December but no one has ever pressed me for the exact date. I get overwhelmed with the financial pressure at Christmas and I don’t want to have to pay for a meal/ drinks on top of everything else. We do have a day where we all bring something into work for a buffet and I’m happy to get involved in that and normally make a cake or a quiche and salad or something. That’s usually about £10 in ingredients so I can afford that but not a whole night out. I’m glad for the team members who do go out and have a good time. Good for them. It’s not for me.

I like my colleagues. We have quite a lot of Christmas events all paid for and high end. I could do without our Christmas ball as its midweek and I'm senior so not a piss up. Most events are obligations to me but we often have fun. I think it's important to get on with colleagues.

That said you pay for yours so all bets are off. Do what you like.

I always go to mine but that's because I'd go to the opening of an envelope. But that's because our firm pays for all drink, food, taxi there. Or next week a 2nd one - hotel stay, all food, drink and breakfast and all travel costs.

Most people I know don't go to theirs. Understandably so.

If your job is publicly funded it’s not just bad form to celebrate using that money, it’s against the rules. When I was teaching I always had to pay for any meals out etc.