To say something at work

[FMLonceavain]

So started the team in Jan this year and they have had a few meet ups and social events through the year I haven’t been able to attend due to plans. Others have started in the team and there have been conversations about new people not joining in or coming to out of work events from people who have been there years.
Christmas party everyone decides to attend as planned well in advance. Get there and the people who have been there years got there early to arrange the tables so it’s all new people on one table and all the people who have joined this year on another. It was really awkward but I was annoyed that people have moaned the new ones don’t join in but when they do it’s divided and they went out the way to segregate themselves.
should I say something as a number of staff were upset and hurt and have now said they won’t be going to events ever again

I would have just made friends with all the other newbies and if it gets mentioned that people are refusing the attend future events, then l would say why but l probably wouldn't unless it came up again

I think at Christmas parties everyone should be able to sit next to who they wish. You are not entitled to sit next to someone you choose and there is nothing wrong with the new people. In addition I’m sure they feel slighted that for a whole year you’ve not made any of the social events

No surprises people want to sit with who they know. Unless there was a management plan to actively mix groups up I am not sure why individuals should take responsibility for this. Big get together always end up with dynamics around who is sitting where. I wouldn't get involved.

I see where you are coming from. A few years ago I joined a team where most of the people worked on a different site. I made an effort to travel to the Christmas party in the hope of getting to know them better - it was a party for the whole department, about five different teams. Come the meal, I found all the team sitting around one table, with me and another 'outsider' left to fill in the gaps on another team's table. I'm bad at talking to people at the best of times, so my evening of forced conversation with people I didn't know was not fun and I left and went back to my hotel as soon as I decently could. I was pissed off, to be honest.