To have walked out of my work Christmas party in favour of dining alone

[Namechangey23]

New employer..I don't know many people as yet. Works Christmas party on Oxford st. No real entertainment, no food (yet!) and dull dull small talk, which, to be honest, was never my strong suit. God it bored the absolute tits off me. So I've walked out at 7.30pm in favour of dinner alone in a nice Turkish restaurant. Sod wasting a child free night on that rubbish! Life's too bloody short! Should I have stayed to show willing, AIBU for leaving...or would you do the same? Yes I've seen the mistake in the title and no I can't change it.

But surely you'd say goodbye?

Or even thank someone if appropriate?

Say goodbye to whom? OP said she doesn’t know people well. If there is someone you know well, sure, but otherwise? Either nobody is going to care, or its a bit weird having somebody you barely know announcing that they are leaving. OP isn’t the Queen, so a random coworker to them.

As your employer, I would most definitely mark your card as rude. I would also have you down as someone who isn’t a team player.

To just slip away from the ‘do’ with no communication is awful!

Rude. Rude. Rude.

Good luck in your new job!

Pretty rude and kind of awkward if people ask what happened to you when you go back to work. Probably should have made some effort to get to know people, might have livened up after a few drinks!

If this was a large drinks do with the option of people arranging their own food as the night wore on, YANBU. Reality is people will have noticed you were there and just assumed you were speaking to someone else when you had in fact left. Quite smartly played in fact!

If this was a sit down meal YABU you already said it wasn't so you're not.

I think the reason you're getting a hard time OP on this thread is because you're being perceived as thinking that your work colleagues are just the hoi pilloi and you are so much better, more interesting than they are and your time more important. Interesting conversations aren't the responsibility of your colleagues any more than yours. There are easy ways to draw information out of people and turn small talk into something far more interesting and enjoyable.

Personally, under the set up you've described, I think you were fine, and I say that as someone whose role involves a lot of professional socialising and I enjoy it.

However, if you are posting in 6 months time saying that you can't seem to settle into your new role and your colleagues just don't seem to like you, you may want to reflect a little. While it should NOT matter (if everyone is professional and effective there should be no need to like your colleagues), truth is that social niceties grease the wheels in all circumstances.

Terrifically rude and a very poor way to start a new job
It will have an effect. Wait and see.
Really ungracious of you

Why even ask opinions if you think you’re in the right and won’t even think to budge anyway?? All sounds a bit attention seeker like to me

People will have noticed
I’m in my sixties and retiring in a year or two, I have sucked up some pretty dire nights out / conferences/ team building events in my career, with people from all over the world, at various corporate shindigs. I also hate small talk, but sometimes you just have no real choice if you want a good relationship with your colleagues You definitely have not done yourself any favours

I love it.

I really do.

Go you girl.

Of course no one has messaged to ask where she is.

Attention!

They are above it. We all are. It’s pointless.

I really wonder if there is such a wide disparity of opinion because people have different types of jobs.
I work in a very large professional services firm. No one gives two hoots if you come to the party or not, or cares how long you stay. We are all adults with commitments and are treated as such.
A manager who would mark your card as rude over something like this would not get on where I work. It’s so petty and self important. Who cares? People are busy.
Honestly, I wouldn’t worry about it one bit- if they did care I’d find another job as they probably aren’t the kind of people you’d want to work with anyway.

Can’t see anything to celebrate could of quite simply not gone in the first place
only thing this achieved was making herself look rude

Don’t blame you, wish I could have walked out of mine but sadly I’m the employer and I was hosting.

Incredibly rude!

Astonished at how this one has run and run!

@Namechangey23 Please, I implore you, where is the restaurant you visited and so enjoyed?