How do people feel about the work's Christmas party?

[username57888]

The annual Christmas party a chance for everyone to get together and have a good time or is it ?
This year I'm in two minds to go .
Pros :it'll be nice to dress up and go out have a drink and have fun.
It'll be a good party ,food , dancing etc .
If I don't go I'll have Fomo !
Also feel I'll be a bit of a miserable sod just saying no I'm not going then I'll be a miffed I've missed out .
It's paid for by the company so just taxi to pay for and maybe 1 or 2 drinks ( should be wine on tables) .
Cons : it's a Friday night so usually I want to get home get pjs on and relax .
As much as I like most of my colleagues they are not my friends so worried about awkwardness who to sit with chat to etc .
Getting home on a weekend near Christmas.
I'm not great with hangovers at my age yes I know I don't have to drink but it's a Christmas party .
Can I actually be bothered .
Reading this I realise I sound a right miser and years ago I couldn't wait for the Christmas party but now I feel a bit unsure .
Anyone else going if so why or why not?

In used to like the, but after many years of infertility found Christmas particularly difficult.

Then work started making it an overnight in a hotel about two hours from my home. An hour for everyone else. So I stopped going.

This year I will be at home with DD, and at the moment that's all I want.

I do understand others enjoy it though and I want that, I just find it an emotional time myself. Alcohol no doubt wouldn't help.

Nope hate them , shall show my face then be home and in bed by 10

We have to pay for ours, and it’s on a Friday night when I am generally knackered after the working week. I have never gone. I do really like my colleagues, and socialise with them at other times, I just feel the “pay £50 for an all-inclusive bring a party to a party thing” isn’t how I want to spend my Friday night. It’s always at some middle-of-nowhere hotel too, meaning ££ taxis for those who go.

NHS too.
Why would I pay £50 and taxi fare to socialise with people I spend all day with who are not my friends or family. Weird. Just wierd.

I am planning not to go to ours.

It's usually in the afternoon, and goes on until evening if people want. It's also on a Friday which is my day off. I usually just say I can't get a babysitter for the kids.

But I have social anxiety so these gatherings send me into a bit of a panic. So would rather just stay at home and avoid them.

Don't have them anymore, self-employed although thinking about taking a few customers.

Been to some fab ones and dull ones.
Also arranged quite a few and got really good deals for us without mentioning Christmas or whatever.

The last place I worked, anyone interested in organising handed in their proposals and we voted. Left to management it would be £80+ a head for not a lot. Still, get a call every year asking if I want to be involved.

Don't overly enjoy them....work in school o we have to pay for ourselves...I go every year tho as not going is frowned upon by some line managers

have to pay for myself, buy something to wear, struggle to get there and back, unless i drive myself
and am shy

I avoid all work socials at all costs. I do not enjoy them, and I am crap at small talk so I end up drinking too much as something to do during gaps in conversation. Luckily we are away for mine so I can't go this year even if I wanted to!

Personally I don't go. But then it's paid for by ourselves, it's not an actually company organised thing. I don't drink and my colleagues seem to all love a drink and I'm GF and alternatives are usually shit!

I just don't have £40/50 before Xmas for a night out when I'm a LP.

I can't go anymore. Loud atmospheres set off my balance / hearing condition and are really painful and uncomfortable for me.

I used to really enjoy them too. Really like my colleagues, loads in common. Food & venue were good. We'd get changed in work so there was all that 'camaraderie' and DH would pick me up.

And I'm education! Like those in nhs we are so close to each other daily - once term ends I enjoy the 2 weeks away from the politics!
I do socialise with some of my colleagues outside work. Well do our own breakfast or evening somewhere and do a £1 shop secret Santa and pick from a black bag. I just like to go out with like minded people rather than organised fun - which saint always!

Our Christmas do’s are just too expensive.
I’ve booked to go to the panto instead. I’ll have more fun.

I normally go, I wouldn't say it's something I massively look forward to but it's a night out and I usually have a good time.

I'm not going this year though because they've booked a hotel in the middle of nowhere, it's an hour from home, no public transport, and very expensive rooms (company paying for meals but not accommodation).

I used to be the event planner and know how difficult it is to please everyone but I tried to be sensible about it.

NHS here and I'm actually going to two, for two different teams I work in, despite funding it myself. I love my colleagues and I love a night out. Win win

I go for the meal part and then leave before the after party starts at a club or bar. I'm not a fan of hot sweaty bars and loud music. So it's a good compromise for me as I do like my colleagues and I love good good as well.

Good food as well that's meant to say.

I absolutely love Christmas but I don't enjoy work parties. I wouldn't mind so much if it was during work time but Friday night is part of the weekend and I really don't want to hang out with colleagues after work, I like to keep my personal and work life separate. I did go last year to be a good sport, but I'd decided I wouldn't bother this year and as it happens it's fallen on a night I have plans anyway.

I love going out and celebrating Christmas but I would much rather do it with my own friends and family. I have FOBI* about work events.

*Fear of being included

I like my colleagues, we all get on and everyone always comes out for the Christmas party

I'm a miserable twat but I never, ever go.

Because:

• I don't particularly want to socialise with my colleagues
• I work at home regularly and it's normally on a day I'm not naturally in work. I'm not paying just to commute in for a party.
• Work only cover food, not drink, and I'm not willing to pay for drink at a party I don't want to be at.
• I don't want to get home late (see above re. commuting).
• The Xmas party where I currently work is far too tame, it's just fucking boring.

I work in a school and it's always the last day when we break up and I am exhausted after nativities, carol services, making Christmas cards and generally dealing with giddy children that I just want to crash out and get my own family things ready for Christmas by that point so I don't normally go.

Where I used to work, we got the afternoon off to go out for it so no one had to make a special journey and could go home after the meal if they wanted or stay on into the evening. That was a good idea, although not really practical in a school!

I go - we have a small do in a local place, all paid for.

I usually drive as I don't drink that much anyway so the faff of having to stay over isn't worth it for the sake of a few glasses of wine. and it gives me a reason to duck out early if I get stuck with the boring ones

I find the people who get absolutely paralytic with colleagues a bit weird though tbh.

Our’s is a very low key lunch out, which I organise, it is paid for (very small budget ) and I personally buy everyone a drink, no one would dream of getting drunk . It’s quite pleasant

My DH dreads his, it is the other side of the country, although it’s paid for, including the hotel, he can see what a massive cost is involved at a time when the company is making all sorts of cutbacks. As a member of the senior team he can’t be seen to have more than a couple of drinks ... he really doesn’t enjoy it but isn’t allowed to miss it . I could go too but can’t stand the thought of the waste of money - even though it would be paid for, just seems wrong.

I'm not working this year so nothing for me. In previous years I'd always go if it's free. If I have to pay I only go if there's good company.