Work Christmas Do's

VimFuego

 I understand Emp's colleagues are looking forwards to the party this year.

capo4th

What a load of wank

Emp_Fab

LOL.  I've never been to any of their Christmas do's.  Oh! - I tell a lie !  I once went to a 'regional' one in Bath organised by my old manager - it was without question the most boring thing I've been to.... a shit (and nearly cold) meal in a smelly pub sat next to a bloke who moaned about his divorce the whole time, followed by my manager trying to split the bill up between us all (I thought it was going to be gratis).

Emp_Fab

capo4th said:

What a load of wank

Mine or Christmas do's in general ?

Nunogilberto

I have many friends in work and enjoy their company - I used to go to the Christmas parties regularly until my health took a downward turn a couple of years ago.

I've been with the same firm for a few years but have worked in various teams. The one team I worked for had a good xmas do at the same place every year - it was a great occasion because we worked in a small depot so we would go for a meal and have the VIP lounge to ourselves for the afternoon.

The last few years I've been working out of a big office and their xmas parties involve having a meal and everybody splintering off into their own little cliques, off to clubs etc - not my kipper tie at all.

Drew_TNBD

VimFuego said:

mike_l said:

VimFuego said:

never did like the whole "work hard and play hard" ethos, where the line between work and pleasure blurs, just not my thing.

See most of the people I work with I'm happy to have a drink (or 8) with, there's a couple who I'll avoid though.

fing is, I'm not a massively social person (I know, shock horror etc.) so the whole work social thing is a bit of a source of stress to me. I'm happy enough to go to the pub and have a pint or two, but I just like my own company. When I work, it's for the money, if I didn't need the money I wouldn't be there.

When I'm around the right people, I am massively social. Comes from years of being the class clown. But when I'm around the wrong people, I am massively withdrawn. Comes from years of being the class clown.

joneve

I've got two this year as I'm attending ours on Thursday, which is a meal at a legit all you can eat buffet restaurant in Bristol followed by free flowing beer - we're only small so only about 15 of us going. 

Then I get to go to my Wife's at a properly nice pub/restaurant in Cheltenham (went there for my 30th) - both our employers are owned by the same person and I have my own office in my wife's office building as our head office is based in Taunton, so I know all the people going so it should be a good laugh.

We're pretty lucky as our bosses insist we don't pay a penny and we can eat/drink what we want. It's always a good craic. 

Col_Decker

We're doing ours on Manday. Finish work 2 hours early, get given our xmas turkey, then over to the pub for a free buffet and a couple pints. Its better than being at work.

Phil_aka_Pip

most of us get on ok, but going to the pub for lunch or other socialising outside of work is not usually the done thing. tradition appears to be that on the day before christmas eve (or the friday before, if applicable) the entire company plus one or two recent retirees (probably 16 in total) meets in the Moreton Hall for lunch & drinks; in previous years the company has funded it. Nice but not expected or demanded. The proceedings go on for as long as people want them to and no return to work is demanded in the afternoon. As I need to drive afterwards my drink intake is rather limited, but I enjoy a social natter and eating food of my choice that I neither had to cook nor pay for.

Adam_MD

Emp_Fab;439542" said:

As my head office is a four hour drive away and my only visits there are to pick up a new car once every few years, I won't be attending - especially as they will charge me private mileage for the journey and I'll have to pay for a hotel.  Not to mention the fact that I only know most of them from their voices, so it would be surreal - talking to someone for a while before the penny drops that it's so-and-so that I've known for years etc.

Plus, with the exception of a small handful, most of them are hideous freaks with the personality of a wet cornflake packet.

The bigger danger by far though is my gob after a few beers.  I'd be likely to get shitfaced and tell the MD what I thought of him and his directionless control of the company, then try to get into his missus' underwear.  Either way, I'd end up fired - and still have to pay private milage.

No way am I paying private mileage to drive to Ascot on Saturday for a work function. If they want me there I'll be including it in my business mileage same as every other year.

ROOG

I've supported them in the past, but not this year.

Same old thing, 'half baked' at best, I feel like Im supporting it for the sake of it it.

Missreable old bugger that I am.

samzadgan

Ive always worked in media/entertainment companies and xmas parties have always been bog events with plenty of free booze, food and music. The peopleive worked with have generally been good and have sone good friends as a result.

As for the parties...although i have maybe 1 or 2 that i enjoyed in the 15+ xmas parties ive been too, ive always felt that there was a sense of forced fun, and i never got along with it. In the last few years ive avoided going...or left very early.

Clarky

Emp_Fab said:

I'd be likely to get shitfaced and tell the MD what I thought of him and his directionless control of the company, then try to get into his missus' underwear. 

surely it's worth it just for this... it sounds to me like a good and worthwhile challenge..

chillidoggy

No works Christmas parties here any more, we stopped them a while ago. This was due the previous boss's tradition of inviting previously-retired staff. The current staff complained, so it was knocked on the head. In any case some of the the shiftworkers always lost out.

In general, I don't like works Christmas parties. "In vino veritas" is the phrase, and in my experience there's at least one person who gets out of hand. As you'd expect, I have in the past been that person, having been on the verge of being sacked for offering to fight one of the Company's suppliers after getting trollied. He'd have totally pulverised me, but the boss didn't see it that way. My attempt to deflect the verbal onslaught by pointing out that the financial director's behaviour also fell short of what was expected when I saw him with his hand up the secretary's skirt, fell on deaf ears.

I like to think I'm generally a very social person, but just because I work with someone, doesn't automatically mean I want to socialise with them.

FX_Munkee

Unfortunately not going this year, logistics just won't work out.
I've been to some classic ones* in the past. Nowadays there not what they used to be, the games industry has become a lot more "corporate" and social media tends to mean that things have a habit of being made public now.

* Examples:-
Fights between entire departments (about six a side)
Development Director being hauled off in the back of a Police van (to the sound of cheering from staff).
The time when we had dodgems, a rifle range and a giant inflatable slide (stir well with an open tab on the bar and watch the fun).
<sigh/>

GuitarMonkey

A place I used to work had black tie Christmas parties. I never used to go but it was okay as I hated everyone anyway.

Stevepage

We don't have one. Might get offered a pint at the pub but I'd rather be home with the Mrs.

Wouldn't go to a do with them anyway, beginning to see through the bullshit that spews out of my boss's mouths.

IanSavage

Going for a meal tomorrow night. Probably going to cost me about fifty quid once drinks are rolled in, which I can't really afford but equally can't not go for fear of being ostracised for the rest of the year.

 

I'm not a fan.

Evilmags

City ones were fun. Coke, hookers, secret santa, dwarf throwing and a quick blowie from one of the secretaries.

mike_l

^^Back in the days when Mags was the secretary......