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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think organising the work Christmas meal is a thankless task?

91 replies

WinditupSlowitdown · 13/09/2017 18:41

So half the people never responded to my email suggesting locations. I spent ages looking over different restaurants too.

These are the people that I know 100% would come to the meal Confused

Just so annoying! How hard is it to look at the menu and say yes or no?

The company even pays for it, so it's not a money issue.

OP posts:
Anecdoche · 13/09/2017 19:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
WinditupSlowitdown · 13/09/2017 19:18

Thank you! I'll remember to make a list and print it off.

We're thinking of the 15th

OP posts:
RuggerHug · 13/09/2017 19:21

I still remember the year I told people the date and gave them a chance to suggest places. When I gave the options I said it was for a vote and winner would be booked after people were told so if someone hated it they could bow out. After the confirmation email was sent I had people (more than one fucker) come up to me and suggest I couldn't count as they decided the vote was wrong.Confused They seemed surprised and backed away very quickly when I suggested they do it if they felt I wasn't up to such a complex task. I wasn't even going to the bastarding thing and still got stuck with the job. Anyone complains, tell them they're welcome to it.

Nomorechickens · 13/09/2017 19:25

Organisation of our Christmas meal was passed to the most junior member of the team, a devout Moslem. He booked a teetotal restaurant (no alcohol allowed on the premises). It was hilarious watching various people try to order beer, scan the menu looking for the drinks page and finding only fruit juice, all while sitting looking through the window at the off licence opposite Grin. Needless to say he wasn't invited to organise again.

TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos · 13/09/2017 19:30

I am going to do what you did, Slim, with the menu cards.

mumontherun14 · 13/09/2017 19:33

lol I've done it a few times and it is a thankless task I feel your pain xxx

Escapepeas · 13/09/2017 19:37

Ugh. I organised one at a very nice restaurant where people got a lovely three course meal for about £20 per head (company paid the rest). Not a word of thanks, but everyone bitched and moaned so I told them they could do it next time.

FenceSitter01 · 13/09/2017 19:39

You tell them where they are going, what time, and the dress code. you give them a date to reply by then close the list

GirlOnATrainToShite · 13/09/2017 19:41

AND we always do a lunchtime and everyone drives and NO ONE drinks.

KentonArcher · 13/09/2017 19:45

I work in a local authority so we pay for ourselves and take a couple of hours at lunchtime, then back to work. Nevertheless, I tried soooo hard to make it fun! Organised games, made it easy for people to choose and pay and everyone said they had a great time. But not one Thank You. Never again. Now, we are told where we are going and more or less told to have a good time. I won't be going this year.

LouHotel · 13/09/2017 19:46

My office looks after 9000 christmas guests over the december period. None of our bookers are happy being the christmas person ha.

MissMogwai · 13/09/2017 19:50

YANBU

I organised it once - never again. Some people are just moaning, ungrateful twats who despite 'not being arsed' then change their minds about 20 times.

Not to mention those who forget what they're having and act like it's the organisers job to know. Well the choices were xmas dinner, vegetarian option or fish, dickhead, it's not hard.

CaptainMarvelDanvers · 13/09/2017 19:59

I did it last year for staff and trustees, I ended up paying the deposit out of my own money as it was hard to get a hold of everyone. The people who wanted to come said they would pay me back on the day and pay their remaining balance off. Some people dropped out at the last minute and because they didn't come they didn't see why they had to pay their part of the deposit.

I'm the lowest paid member of the team and I didn't get that money back, it was £30 which might not seem a lot to some people but for my bank balance definitely felt it's loss.

Never again!

EggysMom · 13/09/2017 20:01

We're a small team and rotate the dreaded duty so that, with people joining and leaving the team, means you only have to do it about once every ten years :D

andbabymakesthree · 13/09/2017 20:05

I forgot all about this task that I used to do. How I miss it....... Not!

Chattymummyhere · 13/09/2017 20:09

Is it because they really don't care. Works do or no works do, don't care. If there is one they don't care where.

Dh work hold it at the same place every year terrible food but all free and everyone is expected to attend. You'd have to be actually dying in hospital to get out of it and even then one of you would still be expected to attend I reckon. It's a chore not a pleasure to attend in this particular case. We all say thank you but people start leaving mid dessert and many have so many fag breaks they miss the main course.

XmasWorksDo · 13/09/2017 20:12

Don't know why anyone bothers tbh.

Ours was discussed yesterday, 2 venues suggested, neither of which appealed to the masses.
Then some wag suggested we shut the office (never been done before - we're a charity) and do a six, yes a SIX mile walk to a nearby village to a restaurant there for lunch.

The amazingly enlightened CEO thinks this is 'a great idea' so this is what we're doing.

CaptainMarvelDanvers · 13/09/2017 20:13

Well in my case it was originally supposed to be a staff thing but then the trustees wanted in on it. Nobody was forced to be there as people were paying for it out of their own pockets.

SmileAndNod · 13/09/2017 20:18

Oh my God I just started work this year after 5 years away. I had forgotten the trauma the Xmas do causes. Not to mention the hell that is secret santa Shock

LouiseBrooks · 13/09/2017 20:19

After some years of angst, I have learned my lesson. I put forward 2 or 3 suggestions to the head of department. We discuss and make a decision.. We email the date and venue to the team with deadlines. Anyone who whines is told they can organise it next time. Once someone took me up on that. The job soon came back to me.

This year we're going back to last year's venue, a place I wanted to try for ages, as it was a huge success. I did book it in July though.

grannytomine · 13/09/2017 20:21

Yes thankless and makes you quite disillusioned with people. I used to do it and firm paid for it, one year when everyone was messing about, disagreeing about venue, menu, drinks and anything else you can think of, I lost it and sent out a message suggesting we donate the money to a good cause. I can't remember what the cause was, it was relief after a natural disaster somewhere. Boss was lovely and positive about it but it was amazing how quickly everyone agreed on everything. I think that says something about people as well.

grannytomine · 13/09/2017 20:22

I mean the agreed on venue and menu not on giving the money to charity.

youhavetobekidding · 13/09/2017 20:29

I think the difficulty with giving people choices is it gives them an expectation that they'll get their preferred choice. Probably better to choose somewhere suitable and people can take it or leave it

SeamstressfromTreacleMineRoad · 13/09/2017 20:29

This is when I give thanks that I'm retired..!!

userofthiswebsite · 13/09/2017 20:32

Ours is a straightforward process. Boss decides on date, time venue, then colleague designs an invite which goes out by email and I or a colleague keep a track of RSVPs and any dietary requirements. That's about it.

No big deal.