The office Christmas party (Am I just miserable?)
Discussion
So it's that time of year again when the details of this years allocated amount of obligatory fun come through.
And as usual it's in London (head office is there) so a 7-8 hour round trip, nice.
And it's a 'ball' so black tie so with hotel I reckon about £350 spent getting there and being suitably dressed before I even have a drink.
It's not like there's any chance of copping off with a hottie from accounts as I'm married plus as I work in IT, 99% of the staff are male (mostly all slightly weird who spend the day wearing T-Shirts that say stuff like "I am Enabled" on)!
Obviously it's mandatory, anyone who tries to decline is bullied into coming.
Christmas is a PITA as it is without added torture of being forced to hang out with a bunch of people you've nothing in common with except work which would be bearable if it was local and you could just go home afterwards.
Just me? Does anyone enjoy these sort of things, why isn't doing your job well enough?
And as usual it's in London (head office is there) so a 7-8 hour round trip, nice.
And it's a 'ball' so black tie so with hotel I reckon about £350 spent getting there and being suitably dressed before I even have a drink.
It's not like there's any chance of copping off with a hottie from accounts as I'm married plus as I work in IT, 99% of the staff are male (mostly all slightly weird who spend the day wearing T-Shirts that say stuff like "I am Enabled" on)!
Obviously it's mandatory, anyone who tries to decline is bullied into coming.
Christmas is a PITA as it is without added torture of being forced to hang out with a bunch of people you've nothing in common with except work which would be bearable if it was local and you could just go home afterwards.
Just me? Does anyone enjoy these sort of things, why isn't doing your job well enough?
I'm the same, I rarely go to 'official' Christmas parties as to me they are merely an extension of the working day. I hate the awkward small-talk you have to make with the office t
ts you couldnt care less about, free bar is great if there is one, but can't get too pissed in case you make a tit of yourself.
The times I've been have been purely to drink as much as possible as quickly as possible and then fk off somewhere else with people I like.
As for going to the other end of the country for a black tie ball....errr, no, fk that. I have better things to do.
ts you couldnt care less about, free bar is great if there is one, but can't get too pissed in case you make a tit of yourself.The times I've been have been purely to drink as much as possible as quickly as possible and then f
k off somewhere else with people I like.As for going to the other end of the country for a black tie ball....errr, no, f
k that. I have better things to do.Edited by Neil_H on Monday 13th October 22:34
I'm with you on this. It really is the worst part of Christmas. The last few years our company has had a themed do in a tent - best parties in the world (not!) Just turned up for the meal, showed my face, then made very swift exit and back home in under two hours. This year though someone thought it would be a good idea to have a river boat cruise precluding the early exit!!! Needless to say I have made my excuses very early this year. Jeeez we have to spend all day most days with these people, I don't really want to socialise with them as well! Bah Humbug! 
I have hit on a great idea for xmas parties.
All the female members from two companies should swap venues . . so the ladies from company A have an xmas bash with the men from company B and the Ladies from company B have a bash with the men from company A.
You could also do some social mixing too with the chicken pluckers from norfolk swapping with the It services company from London etc...
All the female members from two companies should swap venues . . so the ladies from company A have an xmas bash with the men from company B and the Ladies from company B have a bash with the men from company A.
You could also do some social mixing too with the chicken pluckers from norfolk swapping with the It services company from London etc...
qube_TA said:
So it's that time of year again when the details of this years allocated amount of obligatory fun come through.
And as usual it's in London (head office is there) so a 7-8 hour round trip, nice.
And it's a 'ball' so black tie so with hotel I reckon about £350 spent getting there and being suitably dressed before I even have a drink.
It's not like there's any chance of copping off with a hottie from accounts as I'm married plus as I work in IT, 99% of the staff are male (mostly all slightly weird who spend the day wearing T-Shirts that say stuff like "I am Enabled" on)!
Obviously it's mandatory, anyone who tries to decline is bullied into coming.
Christmas is a PITA as it is without added torture of being forced to hang out with a bunch of people you've nothing in common with except work which would be bearable if it was local and you could just go home afterwards.
Just me? Does anyone enjoy these sort of things, why isn't doing your job well enough?
If you do live a few hours away from London as you appear to do, then only go on expenses. My company flies and accommodates in all our remote staff for the Christmas do. If it ain't paid for, don't go.And as usual it's in London (head office is there) so a 7-8 hour round trip, nice.
And it's a 'ball' so black tie so with hotel I reckon about £350 spent getting there and being suitably dressed before I even have a drink.
It's not like there's any chance of copping off with a hottie from accounts as I'm married plus as I work in IT, 99% of the staff are male (mostly all slightly weird who spend the day wearing T-Shirts that say stuff like "I am Enabled" on)!
Obviously it's mandatory, anyone who tries to decline is bullied into coming.
Christmas is a PITA as it is without added torture of being forced to hang out with a bunch of people you've nothing in common with except work which would be bearable if it was local and you could just go home afterwards.
Just me? Does anyone enjoy these sort of things, why isn't doing your job well enough?
downthepub said:
If you do live a few hours away from London as you appear to do, then only go on expenses. My company flies and accommodates in all our remote staff for the Christmas do. If it ain't paid for, don't go.
They'll end up hiring a bus if I did that, that's then about 5 hours each direction (I find that when dealing with people from London that they have just no concept of where anything else in the UK is).I think I'll drive down have the food, show my face and drive home.
You can't force fun, if people enjoy themselves then it's a natural process, allocated blocks of fun where everyone pretends to enjoy themselves in front of the CEO is just awful. You can stomach it if you're local and it's just a night out in town then OK but to lose almost a whole weekend for this sort of thing is rubbish.
Maybe I am a miserable sod but at least I'm not alone (can always count on PH!).
qube_TA said:
downthepub said:
If you do live a few hours away from London as you appear to do, then only go on expenses. My company flies and accommodates in all our remote staff for the Christmas do. If it ain't paid for, don't go.
They'll end up hiring a bus if I did that, that's then about 5 hours each direction (I find that when dealing with people from London that they have just no concept of where anything else in the UK is).I think I'll drive down have the food, show my face and drive home.
You can't force fun, if people enjoy themselves then it's a natural process, allocated blocks of fun where everyone pretends to enjoy themselves in front of the CEO is just awful. You can stomach it if you're local and it's just a night out in town then OK but to lose almost a whole weekend for this sort of thing is rubbish.
Maybe I am a miserable sod but at least I'm not alone (can always count on PH!).
qube_TA said:
downthepub said:
If you do live a few hours away from London as you appear to do, then only go on expenses. My company flies and accommodates in all our remote staff for the Christmas do. If it ain't paid for, don't go.
They'll end up hiring a bus if I did that, that's then about 5 hours each direction (I find that when dealing with people from London that they have just no concept of where anything else in the UK is).I think I'll drive down have the food, show my face and drive home.
You can't force fun, if people enjoy themselves then it's a natural process, allocated blocks of fun where everyone pretends to enjoy themselves in front of the CEO is just awful. You can stomach it if you're local and it's just a night out in town then OK but to lose almost a whole weekend for this sort of thing is rubbish.
Maybe I am a miserable sod but at least I'm not alone (can always count on PH!).
Make it the alternative one....in a pub....with strippers (if there really are no wimmin work there) and no black tie.
Offer an open invite to the southern lot. Accomodation provided free on someones floor for the night.
See which one is more popular
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