To think work Xmas parties should start in work hours?

[ByTidyHelper]

Just as the title says really. Our work Xmas party doesn't start til 6:30pm this year in London which is a 1hr commute for me each way. I really think work Xmas parties should start in work hours e.g. 3 or 4pm as this would be so much better for those with families who could attend at the start for a couple of hours and then go home.

I'm probably not going to mine this year just due to the fact it starts in the evening and I cannot be bothered to get back home late and have to figure out what we do with my kids bedtime etc (they are in a phase of meltdown mode unless mummy is putting them to bed so would be tough on my husband to have to deal with this solo).

What do you think? AIBU to expect work Xmas parties to start in work hours?

Could you imagine ring fire brigade get a bunch of drunken firemen shop workers staggering about the shop floor call centre workers actually telling a tricky customer to go do one ane closed as staff drunk every work place being untidy as cleaners are off on xmas do lol def would be interesting

Sounds like a plan to me! We could theme it. The kids do movies and munchies, while we get merry with mulled wine and mince pies! Maybe the PTA could sort it out? 🤣🤣🤣

We used to have ours on a Saturday night with partners attending too. It was lovely. I think mid afternoon parties are a bit tragic. It's like saying "I can't really be arsed with hanging out socialising with my work colleagues so I'll get it over and done with and be home for 5" - it's a bit miserable and if my staff were so against it I wouldn't bother throwing one.

This is a very specific set of circumstances to be expecting your entire organisation/team to plan the Christmas party around!

not everyone drinks and should work colleagues really be getting drunk together???

I think the post you replied to might have been tongue in cheek, but in any event, some of the best teams I’ve ever worked in were built getting drunk together. Likewise, some of the best friends I have were made because alcohol “oiled the wheels”. Admittedly, this was all when I was much younger. There’s obviously a line and there are fairly obvious inherent risks but in the right way with the right people, relaxed socialising can build relationships.

Mine never did, they always started around 7:30/8 and I literally never enjoyed them. Even less after I had my daughter.

I'd stress for weeks about what to wear and then when I was there I felt overwhelmed by the amount of people that I ended up behaving very awkwardly (there were 4 offices and although I knew almost everyone, we didn't normally congregate all at once). I also really struggled with the blurring the lines between work and personal

Also all those saying theirs was optional.. they're not really though are they? Mine weren't, you had to go

The year I was on maternity leave was the best because I managed to get out of going

Ours does. You either book the morning off or get ready from 11 in the office. A coach comes and picks everybody up at 12:30. There’s food, a free bar and entertainment all afternoon/evening and then a coach back at 21:00 and if you want to carry on after the coach you can go out in town.

I’m not going to mine. It’s never in works time and we are expected to pay for it ourselves.
i’d rather spend what it will cost on doing things with people I care about.

Everything isn't about people with kids.
It's Christmas, The majority want to go out and celebrate into the night! Even better on the company tab.
If you don't want to make the arrangements for your children and aren't really looking forward to it. Just RSVP no. It's not by force.
I have 3 children. I loved dressing up for Christmas events and having a night off. It's great fun

Where it is practical, yes. There will be exceptions such as in retail, for example.

I'm surprised at the vote being 61% against.

Ours doesn't do Christmas parties, we just arrange something nice to do as a team of about 10 and try to suit everyone's requirements. This year we're starting at 3pm with some food then doing a group activity that should be finished by 7pm. Those who want to continue drinking can do so whilst others head home. All paid for by ourselves, the company doesn't contribute a penny towards it. The company has arranged a party in the past but tbh I couldn't think of anything worse than forced socialising with colleagues late into the evening so I just didn't go!

We're in the NHS, so pay for our own. We have a team meeting in the morning and then lunch about 1.30 that goes on all afternoon. Some people leave at 4.30/5ish and others stay into the evening. It wraps up different times different years, but generally around 10/11 for the last people there. Our managers see it as team building and they prefer everyone to come. (You can choose to work instead, as we are paying ourselves). This way most people can attend and still do what they need to e.g. picking up children.

You dont sound like the partying type

As a general rule, no, I don’t think they should. Work hours are work hours and not all jobs lend themselves to say stopping all calls at 3pm. There will always be folk running around picking up the slack while others get ready. Like in my job which is social work, out of hours don’t kick in till 4.45. This wouldn’t work in the likes of retail either. Of course there will be some jobs with more flexibility and that’s fine if they choose to do it that way. Then folk who drive have to plan to what to do with their cars. To me a Christmas night is more special and festive and I want to get properly ready with a shower and hair done not a quick top up of the days make up and whatever outfit I could chuck in my bag that wouldn’t get too creased!
Your OH should really be able to handle the kids for one evening. Don’t you ever get the night off? That’s really not on.

I'd expect my husband and kids to suck it up regarding bed time! One night won't hurt and an 18.30 start isn't too late for you to get back at a reasonable hour.
If you think it's too difficult then just don't go. As harsh as that sounds, it's impossible to please everyone and if you have your own difficulties with getting the kids to bed and commute time etc then that's on you

Wicked is very long so you won’t be home until well after bedtime here. So it does seem like you hope your husband will cope when it’s something you prefer?
Homestly it’s ok to not want to go, especially if it’s an hour each way etc. I just don’t think the husband not finding bedtime easy is a deal breaker and quite honestly if he has one night of it being rather chaotic but you want to go then he should just suck it up!
Where you work is there somewhere to go local so you could go say one hour early from work? Maybe next year you could suggest it’s local because usually if people want to go on drinking they usually don’t care where this is! If work is in the middle of nowhere I can see why they chose London.

I work in a school. Our last day is a half day for students so we do ours in the afternoon! Suits me!!

That sounds shit!

I'm amazed that there are still people prepared to organise work Christmas parties.
I always used to feel sorry for the person who did ours. It was impossible to please everyone, even when opinions had been canvassed beforehand. All I can remember was people moaning about the arrangements and then whinging about the choice of venue/quality of food/whatever, afterwards. Must have been soul destroying for her.

If the timing and choice of venue worked for me, I went. If it didn't, I didn't. But I didn't moan or try to force a change.

Maybe get a job closer to home, it’s not really your employers job to consider your commute. Obviously there are benefits to living outside London, but commuting in isn’t one of them, you’ll have to factor uber fares home as part of your transport fees. Or find a job near your home.

I think that if they want people to attend, it should at least start in work time. Ours was from 4 last year so I was able to go for the first couple of hours and still be home to do bedtime, perfect. This year it’s a purely evening do so I can’t go as DC have numerous activities in different directions and it takes two of us to get everyone to the right locations on time. It’s also such a busy time of year with multiple school events in the evenings that even if it had been another day, I wouldn’t have wanted to waste an evening with colleagues, sorry! Work is for work time!

When I was working I never went to the Christmas do. The travelling was too much when the trains were more busy going home. Oh and someone always made a total fool of themselves which is always embarrassing if they are on your team.
I see your not going but are going to see Wicked. Well I hope you enjoy it. I didnt but lots think its great.🤷‍♀️

I’m a civil servant. Can you imagine the uproar if we did that.

we have a Christmas lunch which we are using our actual lunch hour for, and for those that can and want to attend we have a night out at the weekend (at our own expense).

I how our team is approaching it works well