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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Did you have/are you having a work Christmas party?

78 replies

Dasistrichtig · 14/12/2023 15:09

We had a bit of food in the office that we had to eat either at our desks or use our lunch allowance for.
The food itself was nice enough but TBF there wasn't really that much per person, by the time you queued up.
It's not the end of the world but it's a shame there wasn't something a bit more organized. Not saying they had to hire some fancy venue and spend a fortune, but a bit of a party would've been nice, just something to look forward to.
I'm in the public sector though so not sure if it's different in private?

OP posts:
Original poster
Dasistrichtig · 14/12/2023 15:11

A lot of people I know seem to be going out for a meal or having a work's do at some venue in town!

OP posts:
limefrog · 14/12/2023 15:12

It's unusual in public sector to get any kind of party paid for, most people don't expect it, and it is hard to arrange a meal when staff have to pay - it can feel a bit unfair. I imagine what you had was a compromise.

We had drinks in a pub and paid for ourselves. It was nice.

Original poster
Dasistrichtig · 14/12/2023 15:13

Yeah makes sense I guess. Can understand not everyone wants to/can afford to pay. I've only worked in schools prior to this and they usually had work parties arranged at bars etc.

OP posts:
StonwEd · 14/12/2023 15:15

I work in the professional sport industry. So yes, huge amount of money is spent on staff Christmas dos (multiple). It is so nice, and that’s from someone that hates forced fun but our main all staff one recently was an absolute delight.
I’ve worked in the public sector my whole working life prior to this so it’s brand new to me !

TellySavalashairbrush · 14/12/2023 15:15

I work in a local authority and we went for a Toby Carvery (mainly because lots of people didn't want to spend much- we had to pay for ourselves). Started at 5pm and I was home in my pyjamas by 7.30pm. Glad its over for another year tbh.

Possimpible · 14/12/2023 15:15

Err, did anyone organise it..? We're having a work night out but it was booked and paid for by the team (also public sector)

ETA - it's on a Saturday

Goldcrestonabranch · 14/12/2023 15:16

private company. Blue chip. Some pizza in the office whilst working. nothing else.

Original poster
Dasistrichtig · 14/12/2023 15:17

TBF I am trying to organise a team thing but it may be tricky as mentioned up thread if people don't want to pay, which I do understand. However management haven't organised anything.

OP posts:
Possimpible · 14/12/2023 15:18

@Dasistrichtig you might have left it a bit late. Our night out was organised in August! You just ask for names, find somewhere to suit your numbers and take a deposit. If people don't want to pay they don't go. And it wasn't management who organised it

FrenchandSaunders · 14/12/2023 15:18

Also public sector. A lunch out at a nearby restaurant has been arranged. Obv pay for ourselves. I'm not going, I'm going for a bottomless brunch another day with 4 colleagues that I've been friendly with for years and see outside of work.

I'm not keen on spending 40 odd quid to be sitting with people I've nothing in common with, talking about work.

Original poster
Dasistrichtig · 14/12/2023 15:18

August! Erm yes it might be a January event now if that 😂

OP posts:
Sera1989 · 14/12/2023 15:21

I've worked from home for 10 years, never been to a Christmas party 😭

YeahIsaidit · 14/12/2023 15:23

My place had arranged a Christmas work night out and it got cancelled because nobody wanted to go... Boss went around saying it was because nobody could afford it, the truth of the matter is that nobody likes the place/management and didn't want to spend their money and free time dealing with more of it

skippy67 · 14/12/2023 15:23

FrenchandSaunders · 14/12/2023 15:18

Also public sector. A lunch out at a nearby restaurant has been arranged. Obv pay for ourselves. I'm not going, I'm going for a bottomless brunch another day with 4 colleagues that I've been friendly with for years and see outside of work.

I'm not keen on spending 40 odd quid to be sitting with people I've nothing in common with, talking about work.

Yep, exactly the same here. If I'm going to pay for my own lunch, I'd rather be eating with actual friends.

escapethemaze · 14/12/2023 15:24

they actually said “eat at your desk”?

pinkspeakers · 14/12/2023 15:24

We have a lovely Christmas dinner with partners. Champagne, candlelight and black tie. And a cheesy disco afterwards. Academic at an Oxbridge College. We are very lucky.

Original poster
Dasistrichtig · 14/12/2023 15:28

They didn't but there was no area arranged to eat the food, the food was brought almost to our desks

OP posts:
escapethemaze · 14/12/2023 15:30

Dasistrichtig · 14/12/2023 15:28

They didn't but there was no area arranged to eat the food, the food was brought almost to our desks

so you were free to mingle?

Sounds very similar to our office bash… but we mingled!

Catza · 14/12/2023 15:30

It's not up to the management to organise though. Anyone can do it and you generally don't get a paid party in public sector. To be honest, I am surprised they paid for your work lunch.
We had our christmas do in a pub. It was organised by one of the admin staff who sent us some options and we picked a relatively cheap venue. Everyone paid for their own meal. None of the managers were there due to either being ill or on AL

escapethemaze · 14/12/2023 15:30

have you asked out your colleague yet btw?! (i was on your thread yesterday)

Whatnameshallihave · 14/12/2023 15:30

Every public sector place I've worked in (40+ years) including schools, has only had a party if a member of staff organised it. Never management. And obviously all paid for by the staff.

SoRainbowRhythms · 14/12/2023 15:32

We went for a meal and drinks in a nice pub, with obligatory Christmas jumpers. Public sector too so we all paid for ourselves.

mrswhiplington · 14/12/2023 15:32

Sera1989 · 14/12/2023 15:21

I've worked from home for 10 years, never been to a Christmas party 😭

Me and DH are the only employees of his business. It's a bottle of Baileys for us. Treat yourself.😃

ManateeFair · 14/12/2023 15:36

Slightly complicated where I work - basically, there is some budget per head for each department to have a full department meeting twice a year. Most of the department heads used a small amount of that budget for one meeting in spring, and then used the bulk of it for a meeting/conference in December which would take place all morning, and would then be followed at 2pm or so with a paid-for Christmas lunch as part of the event. But our organisation isn't allowed to supply alcohol so we had to buy our own drinks.

That then stopped happening for various reasons and now we just go out for a meal and drinks within our teams/sections, which we have to pay for. We have a very generous boss in our section who paid for all our drinks at the meal (which must have come to a lot of money, bless him) and then after that we all went to the pub and bought rounds for each other.

Princessfluffy · 14/12/2023 15:39

When I worked in the public sector we had to pay for our own Christmas meal but generally had it subsidised by a fiver or so.

There was a three line whip to attend especially if you were management.

I'd far rather spend my own time and money with my friends and family than with work colleagues, some of whom were pretty dreadful people.

Private sector usually fully paid for.