That a work Zoom Christmas party is a really hard thing to organise!

[Laarkawaay]

It is 2 hrs during the day, so I can't fall back on a booze theme. Team of 15 and, yes I can do a quiz, but we can we do a quiz for 2 hours?! AIBU that this is a pretty hard ask? What's everyone else doing for their virual Christmas parties - though I'm not even calling it that as I'm worried it will be even shitter if I do!

@Schoolchoicesucks

Mine is 10-4. 6 hours of forced zoom fun. Do I win?

The first hour I have to plan myself for some team fun.

Then there is an awards ceremony. With poems. That we have to write and perform.

Then make and eat lunch together.

Next I think will be some sort of quiz or bingo or scavenger hunt.

Finally we might be able to drink. I think I will have to drink throughout to get through it. Or feign internet issues.

Horrendous.

Jesus H Christ. Fuckers. 😢

I was looking forward to avoiding ours..... until a teammate came up with the inspired idea that our team organise it and each 'lead' an activity - apparently the reasoning behind this was that it would be less shit this way and we wouldn't all dread it

They rather sneakily came up with their fabulous idea, and discussed with the team, one afternoon AFTER I had finished for the day. So by the time I found out it was all agreed.

So now, instead of just hiding for a couple of hours off-camera, getting quietly pissed until my knocking-off time, I now have to come up with a 'fun' session which just adds to my already heavy workload, and will have to participate on the day, and probably end up staying on later than I would have otherwise, waiting for my 'turn'. Yeah thanks teammate, I wasn't dreading it before, but I am now......

Maybe your "fun" session could be playing a Headspace meditation session and letting everyone close their eyes and enjoy the sounds of the midnight launderette or something for 45 minutes?

I am a complete party animal, but I can't think of anything worse. Can you just send a hamper and give them 2 hours off?

And for those claiming anyone who wouldn't enjoy this kind of thing must be miserable or hate Christmas- can you really not see how a night in the pub in your own time socialising in real life is different to two hours sat on your own staring at the computer trying not to talk at the same time as all the other little boxes? I always enjoy the Christmas night out but a zoom thing just wouldn't cut it

Exactly! I love Christmas nights out and have very rarely missed any sort of workplace social event. Zoom is not bloody socialising, it just isn't. It's shit and awkward.

OMG our Zoom team meetings are bad enough

We're doing a few games via MS Teams. Pictionary using MS Paint and screen sharing. A "Guess the movie/song" picture quiz which my husband will draw using his absolutely terrible drawing skills - he's done a couple before for us and they've gone down well and people have asked for another round. Possibly an escape room. There's about 10 of us and we all get on well so it'll be a bit of a laugh during work hours.

An awards ceremony with poems sounds hideous.

@ipushmyfingersintomyeyes

I would book a meeting for the last 2 hours of the day and then when they all log on, say thanks and wish them all a Merry Christmas and tell everyone to log off early. I know I would appreciate that more than a cringe 2 hour bore fest

^

This with bells on

Everyone choose a song and describe what it means to them

No-one is ever interested in anyone else's favourite song unless that person is an interesting person and could hold their own on Desert Island Discs. Nine times out of ten, it'll be something totally predictable like U2's One or Wonderwall by Oasis and the meaning will be "met wife/husband/partner/had baby". Yawn. And if the song that really means something to you is fairly obscure, even fewer people will be able to pretend they're interested.

Dress code (waist up only!) like kitchen disco or Xmas jumper or wig/hat etc

Great way to add even more stress to what is a pain in the backside anyway. So people have to either order online, or go out and queue, to buy some Xmas tat? And pay for it themselves, obvs. Just let people wear what they want.

I've got to take part in a virtual Xmas party but at least we are being sent a cocktail making kit. Once the demo is over, I am logging off.

But really the best advice of all is not to bother. It's such an invasion of people's time.

Bah humbugs!! People do really want to get together and do something that's been decided - I'm just trying to make it as good as i can (with no budget or pre-sent props no, they're just being polite because otherwise you will accuse them of being Grinches. It's so mean and quite cheeky.

God so much misery on here!

Our team has zoom parties, even if you're not in the mood to start with, people usually end up in fits of laughter and having a great time.

Those who choose not to attend are welcome not to but they're pretty miserable people in general

@cologne4711

Dress code (waist up only!) like kitchen disco or Xmas jumper or wig/hat etc

Great way to add even more stress to what is a pain in the backside anyway. So people have to either order online, or go out and queue, to buy some Xmas tat? And pay for it themselves, obvs. Just let people wear what they want.

I've got to take part in a virtual Xmas party but at least we are being sent a cocktail making kit. Once the demo is over, I am logging off.

But really the best advice of all is not to bother. It's such an invasion of people's time.

Bah humbugs!! People do really want to get together and do something that's been decided - I'm just trying to make it as good as i can (with no budget or pre-sent props no, they're just being polite because otherwise you will accuse them of being Grinches. It's so mean and quite cheeky.

We had a work Halloween fancy dress zoom party, it was fucking hilarious. I wasn't going to go but decided to at the last minute. I put a fitted sheet over my head. It was so shit it was funny - not everyone dressed up but some people went full out.

I suppose the difference is that I genuinely like my colleagues and miss spending time with them. I'm not forced to spend time with them (the ones I don't want to spend time with don't come anyway because they're mardy arses)

I used to be in a team which enjoyed each other's company.

This year we gained a new director, lots of people left and lots of new people joined. All our meetings are now very awkward despite the director's desperate attempts to raise "team spirit" and make everyone be sociable.

I think either you all gel and get along or you don't - you can't force it, especially when you all WFH and don't know each other well.

@Schoolchoicesucks

Mine is 10-4. 6 hours of forced zoom fun. Do I win?

The first hour I have to plan myself for some team fun.

Then there is an awards ceremony. With poems. That we have to write and perform.

Then make and eat lunch together.

Next I think will be some sort of quiz or bingo or scavenger hunt.

Finally we might be able to drink. I think I will have to drink throughout to get through it. Or feign internet issues.

Horrendous.

I'd be very, very sick that day.

Have you childre/parents/pets that need you desperately?

Can an asteroid land?

Knowing this was upcoming would literally give me sleepless nights.

I'm an IT Director (not a breed of people known for their social skills).

I started a new role with an international consultancy (US/AUS/EUR) in June and haven't met any of the people I work with in the flesh, so the idea of forced remore jollity is cringe-inducing.

My firm has asked that we reallocate any budget for Christmas to a much higher-spend all-company get-together in June, or whenever.

Remore? Remote, obvs.

What a bunch of grumps are on this thread. For my party (yes, it is a party):

The general assumption that all of these are mandatory. Not so.

Should give 2 hours off. My staff are paid to attend # but it is the last 2 hours of the work (from home) day. We also added a paid week off over the holidays because everyone is tired!

Just give them a gift. This is not in lieu of a gift. Just gave them all 2000.

Lastly, we mostly like each other and have fun socially.

Good luck, OP.

The general assumption that all of these are mandatory. Not so.

My staff are paid to attend # but it is the last 2 hours of the work (from home) day. We also added a paid week off over the holidays because everyone is tired!

The one OP describes IS mandatory as it's in working hours. Making it the last two hours of the day is even worse imo. Just let people clock off early for Christmas.

The paid week is irrelevant and has nothing to do with forcing people to attend "virtual Zoom parties".

Whhhyyyyy???

We are just doing a few activities spread out over a week, like a quiz, playing christmas songs, desk decorating competition etc.

Two hours on Zoom sounds like a lot!!

I would only do it if alcohol was involved. But seriously two hours is way too long. One hour tops.

Give them the 2 hours off 😩 I couldn't think of anything worse!

We did a scavenger hunt. It was fun and a way to get the energy up as you had to race around finding things. You break into teams, then you have to find something that should be in your house and pose with it, e. g. A baby photo. Each team submits just one within a time limit and first to submit gets bonus points. Works well as long as everyone has Zoom on their phone.

I suppose the difference is that I genuinely like my colleagues and miss spending time with them. I'm not forced to spend time with them (the ones I don't want to spend time with don't come anyway because they're mardy arses)
@ineedsun what a load of crap. I genuinely like my colleagues and missed them in lockdown (teacher, so we are all in now). I still wouldn’t want a zoom party as that’s NOT meeting them. And if there was a fancy dress real life party I wouldn’t go to it. Not because I’m a ‘Marcy arse’ but because fancy dress is my idea of hell. I have no doubt I love doing some things you would hate. Doesn’t make you a marshy arse, just different from me. You do appreciate people are different, right?
No work party should ever be compulsory, whether real or virtual.

@deste

My DD has organised one for over 100 staff, before they go home they are being given a box with a cocktail kit, an afternoon/ evening type tea which they will all open at the same time, not sure what else is happening but they will also be given an envelope and are doing awards for all sorts of reasons. They got the afternoon tea for a very reasonable price as let’s face it everyone is looking for business. It is all coming beautifully presented. It is costing the staff £20 and the school is donating £10 per member of staff.

So they have to pay £20 at an expensive time of year for some sort of team shite? Awards? What are they? 6? This is all complete rubbish. In lockdown my school had a zoom quiz, but it was entirely optional and everyone got very drunk. It was ok. Wouldn’t repeat it I don’t think.