Company Christmas Party

Tonight is our company Christmas party, which, I will not be attending, for many reasons-they treat us like absolute crap, they do not take care of their employees at all (you've all probly read my many work rant posts....sorry!)

Anyways, how many of you out there go to your company Christmas parties?

Do you get a Christmas bonus or anything? Last year, we got a catalog ...don't get me wrong, thanks, but it wasn't anything worth getting, it was all really kinda junk stuff that I have plenty of at home already!

When I worked at my last job, I was only part time cuz I was going to college and we still got a hefty christmas bonus.

What about you?

As far as I know the only perk we have around the holidays is we have Christmas off.

Originally Posted by Rae

As far as I know the only perk we have around the holidays is we have Christmas off.

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We don't even get any days off for the Holidays!

We party at the drop of a hat. Yesterday was the annual Staff/Faculty/Friends of the School (small theological college) Christmas lunch. Catered by our own cafeteria, and Eric has a ball doing it. He does lots of finger food, and either a baron of beef or a turkey, and then a dessert selection to die for. Wine included. This is laid on -- we don't pay to go.

There are several other events through "the season" -- one segment of the community or another. But that's the main one. And, yes, I go. The years when it's close enough to Christmas that Rob has already begun his vacation, he comes, too -- willingly! He loves our events.

Small Christmas bonus -- but I never worked for another company that did it at all.

The School closes two or three days before Christmas and doesn't open again until after New Year's -- paid time off, not taken out of vacation, which is quite generous, too.

The place is not perfect, but it does have a great deal to recommend it.

Yes, I always go to the Christmas/Holiday Party for work. Usually I have a hand in organizing it, so that's part of the reason. But with the company I'm with, I would go anyway. I really enjoy the people I work with, and it's nice that they go give back to their employees with a nice party a couple time a year.

We don't get Christmas bonuses (those are at the end of the fiscal year), but we do get our profit sharing for our 401(k) (they don't do matching contributions, but profit sharing instead).

I work for a religious official and have for the past three and a half years now. I spent many years in the corporate world, also a few in government work.

In my early twenties, I was a rah-rah type of company booster, always on the Employee Club wherever I worked and involved in social stuff, organizing the annual parties and things. After a few years I started to notice it was always the same few people who did the work, while everyone else sat around and griped about it. LOL So for a long while I simply declined to participate at all.

When I came to work for the bishop in 2002, all that changed because for the first time I was able to integrate my faith life into my work day. We are a staff of about a dozen, and we pray together at staff meetings, go on retreats together, and the annual Christmas party is fun because we actually care about each other -- we're not just impersonal colleagues thrown together by chance.

We gather at the bishop's house and the highlight of the evening is always the white elephant gift swap, for which we try to find the most horrible and tacky things we can. LOL One year I gave away a horrid-looking candelabra that looked like it belonged in Castle Dracula, and another year it was a plastic tissue-box cover with a little miniature bathroom where if you pushed little buttons, it made sounds like a toilet flushing, a sink faucet pouring, an electric razor, a blow dryer, etc.

This year I have to unload a Green Bay Packers cheesehead hat and a dinosaur cookie jar. I've learned that if you pack your gift in a BIG box, everyone fights over it when we draw names. LOL

But I realize I am extremely lucky. If I were working for someone whom I felt did not appreciate me, I would not feel much like partying with them. I hope you get through the holiday season without too much grief over this.

Oh, and as for bonuses -- well, I can't remember the last time I got a Christmas bonus from ANY employer unless it was a cheesy calendar or datebook that cost about 8 cents for them to produce in some awards factory. LOL

Mines at lunchtime on wednesday when i finish for 2 weeks!!! WOOOO HOOOO

My Director hires a room in a local pub with a buffet, karaoke and free bar until we all decide to leave which is usually between 10-11.p.m.

We usually get a full weeks wage as a bonus as well

Roll on next week

rosiemac -- I am so jealous of my British friends -- LOL -- those two weeks off every December! I talked to my friend Shelly last weekend, she's a legal secretary for Persimmon Homes and she was gloating about being all done on Wed. the 21 till after January 2, I wanted to pound on her. LOL

I am luckier than usual this year because I get four-day weekends on Christmas and New Years. It works that way because of the Eve and Day holidays falling on the weekend -- we get the Eve off too, so they have to give us the Friday and the Monday both times. However, I do have to work on the week in between -- Dec. 27, 28, and 29. Blech.

I took a vacation day on Thurs. the 22 so I can leave early for St. Louis, where I'm spending Christmas with my uncle. And I'm spending New Year's weekend with friends in Omaha.

I sure will miss my girls!

I just started the company back in August, and was really impressed by their Christmas Party.
My first taste of corporate life was at a bank. They paid decent for year end bonuses, and had the formal party. Since I was so young at the time, many people were older then me. So I only went for one or two parties.
The next/last company I worked for, I went to all their christmas parties as they were held at gaming places (Dave & Busters, GameWorks, etc). The only thing that was terrible about them was that you had to wait 2 years to start getting your bonus, and even then it was a flat $50 (which I never did get).
Finally this company goes all out...HUGE bonuses and no expense spared at the party (unlimited drinks...none of that ticket stuff). I was in awe the whole night!
I do go to the Parties if I like the company...it's a good time to network and get social with those that matter in your career (boss, boss' boss, boss from another department, etc).

Originally Posted by Vibiana

rosiemac -- I am so jealous of my British friends -- LOL -- those two weeks off every December! I talked to my friend Shelly last weekend, she's a legal secretary for Persimmon Homes and she was gloating about being all done on Wed. the 21 till after January 2, I wanted to pound on her. LOL

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Oh we have Persimmon Homes in my area as well

Haven't seen a bonus in years, the company christmas party was so crowded I left after an hour!

We usually do a pot luck at one of our houses. We only have about 15 employees plus their significant others so it's never very big. We all bring 2 good gifts and 1 gag gift, all under $5 each and wrap them and do white elephant, then we usually play some sort of game. It's ok. We do get a bonus and I should be happy for anything but it usually isn't very much.

This year we are having a little get-together Friday afternoon. We have had Christmas parties in the past, but the drinking thing got to be too much of a liability. (We have some partiers on staff). I wanted to all go out to dinner rather than someone's home or a club again, but the owners didn't really get in the Christmas spirit soon enough. They even considered getting us all gift cards to a restaurant instead. (well, good intentions, but I thought that was a wee bit tacky.)

We are getting a bonus (later today). I must say, although this is a small company, they really try to be fair and generous when they can afford it.

Originally Posted by rosiemac

Mines at lunchtime on wednesday when i finish for 2 weeks!!! WOOOO HOOOO

My Director hires a room in a local pub with a buffet, karaoke and free bar until we all decide to leave which is usually between 10-11.p.m.

We usually get a full weeks wage as a bonus as well

Roll on next week

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WOW!! 2 weeks, PAID!? I can please come and work with you? Harley, Rosie & Sophie would be great pals!

Their reason for never giving us anytime off, or bonuses, is that its been a "rough year" Okay, if you remember correctly, our accountant just got a $20,000 raise, oh yeah, there goes everyones paid vacations AND bonuses!!

This place is so horrible to work for, please remind me why I still work here?!

It seems like the rest of you guys work for really great places!!

Originally Posted by babyharley

WOW!! 2 weeks, PAID!? I can please come and work with you? Harley, Rosie & Sophie would be great pals!

Their reason for never giving us anytime off, or bonuses, is that its been a "rough year" Okay, if you remember correctly, our accountant just got a $20,000 raise, oh yeah, there goes everyones paid vacations AND bonuses!!

This place is so horrible to work for, please remind me why I still work here?!

It seems like the rest of you guys work for really great places!!

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Why do you work there? I remember your post about the $20,000.00. That is so outrageous!

When I was working my office had a christmas party sometimes pid for my the company sometimes not. It was usally at a restaurant that beef was the main "meat" as I am not a steak eater and they places chosen never really had good food I glad I don't have to endure that. Not that I'm fussy but we usually had to limit the entree choices to 3 choices and two would be prime rib and steak-no one really wanted a fish choice so it came down to chicken-just what I want to eat at a holiday meal!! It was a pain chosing a restaurant because of the cities some people lived a couple of people had to do some driving. Plus the boss's suck-ups always sat next to the office mgmt-I mean ALWAY!!! It was so obvious. We would do a secret santa at work though and that usually turned out pretty well.
Until DH's boss changed the mgmt would have a really nice evening at one of the local private county clubs. Open bar, good appetizers, a fancy gift and good meal but new boss so that is gone. What he does get is a BIG box this yr a 15 # ham, 4-5# boneless turkey breat, 3# breakfast sausages, 1# of assorted cheese, 1# chocolates, and probably 3-4# assorted sausages!!
Its nice as it gives my grocery budget a break over the holidays.
Tonite his entire office is having a party vs the office and the mill. We only went once to the entire mill/office party. They invited the retirees for some reason and have a band but it gets so smokey-yuck!!!

Originally Posted by Rockcat

Why do you work there? I remember your post about the $20,000.00. That is so outrageous!

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Cuz its money....and its SO hard to find a decent paying job around this town and I can't afford not to have one....the experience is GREAT cuz I love what I do, its just totally unfortunate that I have to work with the kind of people that I do!

Originally Posted by Rae

As far as I know the only perk we have around the holidays is we have Christmas off.

Click to expand...

I work for a wonderful company (bluecross blueshield) and coming from the place I use to work at I am very thankful for all the company does.

Yes we have a christmas party but it usually is per unit, we also have the alabama orchestra come into the building and they play holiday music for us.

We got a holiday bonus the day before thanksgiving, which was a nice amount

And since the holidays are on a weekend we get the day off during the week....we always get off christmas eve and christmas so we have off the friday before christmas and the monday after christmas off.

Oh and my husband works at the same place so he gets all the above stuff too!

Sorry if it sounds like im bragging, but believe me the place I use to work was HORRIBLE!!

Originally Posted by babyharley

Cuz its money....and its SO hard to find a decent paying job around this town and I can't afford not to have one....the experience is GREAT cuz I love what I do, its just totally unfortunate that I have to work with the kind of people that I do!

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You know, I spent waaaaay too many years in jobs that I hated. My Mom worked in a factory that she couldn't stand for 31 years. They moved out of state 1 year before her retirement. In order for her to collect severence pay, she had to train her replacement! Some employers are brutal and don't deserve good employees.
I know it is harder to look for a job than work. Thats especially true while you are already working. I mean theres only so much time in the day and you gotta have a life, BUT make sure you always keep your eyes open. Network! Thats how I got my current job. I called up and talked to someone I had a business relationship with. She hired me 2 weeks later. I have accumulated $5.50 in raises within the almost 6 years I've been here. I'm not saying I LOVE my job, but they treat me well and I feel appreciated. You deserve that too.

Originally Posted by babyharley

Cuz its money....and its SO hard to find a decent paying job around this town and I can't afford not to have one....the experience is GREAT cuz I love what I do, its just totally unfortunate that I have to work with the kind of people that I do!

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It's difficult anywhere you are. Sounds horrible where you're at though. My last job was similar, but not as bad. I worked as their local IT person. Never saw a raise when the District manager started having me do things, and what was the WORSE was in order for me to keep my job I had to do clerk stuff on the side (again, no extra money). I got a gift certificate on Secretary's Day...I was so angry that day I thanked them for making my BS degree in IT look like BS.
Plus there was a lot of favoritism that went on. I mean big time rubbing in your face. If you weren't blonde, bubbly, petite and a size 2 you didn't get the special treatment from the bosses (i.e. extra days off, your bonus, etc). I was SO SO glad to leave that place and be back in IT (full fledge, no secretary stuff, etc).

*also, please note am I trying to demean secretaries...they are wonderful helpful people, I'm just not programmed to be one!*