Is your work Christmas party cancelled?

[forinborin]

Asking just out of interest. I work now on two projects, and dipping in and out of a third - and all three companies have cancelled their Christmas parties now (moved to zoom / teams). What about yours?

I also worry about the effect on the hospitality sector - I think it was a major source of income for them during this period.

No, ours will go ahead. But ours is done in-house by the catering team, held in a HUGE hall where we can all socially distance if we wish, and is during the day so we don't have to make a special effort to go out/use up an evening or whatever. I wish all works Christmas events were like this!

Cancelled. I felt terrible for the hotel we were due to visit as many other firms have done the same.

99% of my colleagues were really looking forward to it too.

Ours is 50 people on the 16th - hoping it goes ahead this year but not sure how many people will end up dropping out because of isolating or fear of isolating.

Mine is going ahead and we were all in the office yesterday for a Christmas team building/ lunch. Everyone came and no one mentioned covid but we are all under 40 and to be honest no one really sees covid as a risk . The general consensus with everyone I know is living life as normal. The contrast between real life and what you read here is stark!

Ours is still going ahead. Firm wide one on the 17th, and a room has been hired out so its just us there - no different to the risk we get being in the office together all day i suppose.
quite a few people are not going though, and its completely understandable x

Our full office one scheduled for tomorrow is cancelled, but our team one is still on.

Different offices in the business have taken different approaches though - some offices are still having theirs.

Not sure yet, but ours is the 17th December. I wasn't going anyway as have something else on but I know several people who have decided not to go, as self isolation would cover Christmas and it's just not worth the risk

@Gearedtoyou

No, but I think there will be a lot of drop outs. Not because people are scared of being ill but because they don't want to risk having to isolate over the holiday.

This is the main issue I think. It's just so disruptive to have to isolate for 10 days, and there's then the chance you'll miss either the whole of Christmas or a lot of the buildup. That's why I'm giving things a swerve if I can.

Mine hasn’t been yet but I’m feeling a bit anxious about going.

There are 23 of us (we all wear masks at work) and we’re going to a notoriously busy restaurant which will no doubt be packed and the concept isn’t filling me with excitement.

I’ve reluctantly said I’m not going to ours. It’s on the 15th in a crowded central London bar. I’m fairly resigned to getting the virus at some point but I don’t wasn’t to risk it so close to Christmas as a) we’re seeing various vulnerable family members and b) I really, really don’t want to isolate at Christmas. I felt like a flake but the woman organising it was very understanding and said they were seriously considering cancelling anyway.

i wish ours were to be cancelled - I've got a bad cold and cannot join them tonight, so they'll be celebrating without me. #notfair #stampsfoot

Our party is for 200 people. They sent out a survey if people want it postponed until better times, or if they'd rather have the party and everyone provides a negative lateral flow test. We'll see what happens early next week!

Our big party was cancelled a few weeks ago (we had a vote and it was decided to cancel). We were supposed to have a team lunch next week but one of the team has just tested positive and we were all in the office together earlier this week so are all feeling a bit nervous now!

Drinks and quiz over Teams for us.

ours is on. we're all in work anyway, and it's just a small team do for 10 people.

We weren't having one in the first place but have just cancelled a full company get together that was going to involve international travel in late January.

Individual team meals may still be happening and I don't see as much of a problem socialising with the immediate people you work with. My immediate team is in different countries though so I won't be doing that anyway!

We didn't book one this year. We had a company day out in the summer, and have one booked for next summer. We may possibly shift to doing that for the foreseeable.

I do know of some works dos being cancelled though. No one wants covid for Christmas.

Those "Christmas party barn" type hotels who have three or four rooms, each full of multiple company dos and lots of mingling to see if the totty is better next door seem particularly unwise.

(Although obviously I understand the economic reasons why the Prime Minister says not to cancel Christmas parties.)

Ours has been postponed to January, it was going to be twelve days before Christmas but our manager said she couldn’t go ahead with it and risk people getting sick and having to isolate over Christmas, especially if travelling to see family. Some people are disappointed but tbh I’m relieved as I was going to drop out anyway!

I work in two places.

In one job, people aren't that fussed about going out so management put on a buffet in the canteen for us each year. Management took the decision two months ago they wouldn't be doing this again this year due to covid.

Nothing arranged at my other place of work, normally our team and another one don't go as it's expensive anyway. Amongst the two teams we've arranged to go for a drink, but given we're distancing between our team and the others are wearing masks all the time, I can't see us all sat happily together. Have to say I've lost enthusiasm for going right now - the slightest chance my 19 year old DD can get home from abroad for xmas, I'd rather keep myself well for that and not spread to her.

It wasn't even on the cards for us, the company just told everyone they wouldn't support get-togethers this year.

Ours is just a team lunch and still going ahead AFAIK.

Nope, the company I work for are still going ahead. They're holding a big event during the day and a party in the evening.

Not a party as such, but our lunch is still going ahead so far... I think whether it actually happens will depend how things go in the next two weeks as it's on the 16th. I can't say I'm overly keen but I will go if it's still on.

We're all wfh so it will be risky extra socialising for us, as we're not already in work together.

I wouldn't go to a work Christmas party myself but for young single people they can be a way of making friends.

DS23 was looking forward to his. He has worked from home his entire career as he started post covid and was looking forward to some RL interaction and had booked a hotel. It was cancelled with 24 hours notice.

Yes, company and department parties have all been cancelled and full WFH is returning from next week until the New Year at least. Large US law firm in the City.