Christmas work parties.

[miagi's_mommy]

 
I hate holiday parties.  I don't celebrate Holidays, I celebrate Christmas.  Once you have to start worry about offending people over what you are celebrating, it really just becomes a big commercial mess.  I have worked at the same place for ten years and my "cost of living" increase has not at all kept of with the increase in the cost of living.  It used to be that they would have jeans days once a month and you paid $5.00 to wear jeans and that money went to a specific charity of the month.  Lately no one wears jeans - so this year, in order to attend the Holiday Party you were required to purchase a $35-$50 gift or make a monetary donation to the charity in order to "attend".  I hope I am not the only one who said "I'm sorry,. due to a prior engagement I will be unable to attend this event." In case anyone is wondering, the "party" is a catered in lunch that we have to clock out to attend. 

I don't say happy holidays, I say Merry Christmas to people because I celebrate Christmas. If they say happy holidays to me I say it back.

 

[artiemom]

 
Yeah that charity thing is annoying. Our company has a foundation and they are always badgering us to sign up for automatic withdrawals from our checks to go to it. NO. NO. NO. NO, I give to charities whose cause I believe in. When you give to a foundation, the money goes to A) a charity THEY believe in or B) towards "administrative costs" with a few dollars here and there actually going towards a charity- again- of their choice. 

They NEVER give to charities that benefit animals. Those are the ones I support and I give to them or donate things to be sold on their behalf myself. They can stick their foundation in their eye IMO 

When I was working, at 2 different hospitals, Both of them strongly insisted, to the point of almost badgering the employees to contribute annually to the "Employee Gift Fund". This fund was used to purchase equipment for the Hospital!!!

I found that outrageous!!! I mean, I was an employee of the hospital, so why would I want to donate part of my salary to PAY THEM, my employer?????

I would rather give to my own charity.. Salvation Army, or the Make a Wish foundation or the Special Olympics...

When we had a department "Holiday" Party, which we had to attend, in-between patients, we had a Grab gift. I really could not see us buying gifts for each other.. especially doctors who had a lot of money.. I mean, what do you get them??

I always insisted that we do a collection and donate to a charity or the NICU (the neonatal intensive care unit fund for parents and babies)... We were a Maternal Fetal Medicine department (dealing with pregnancies with problems), so I felt that was appropriate and what the Christmas (Holiday) spirit was about.. 

I was thought of as being a Scrooge!!! and each year people got upset with me for mentioning donating to charity....

 

[denice]

I don't like being pressured to give to a specific charity.   To give or not is a personal choice and for some people their finances are so tight that it is really hard to give.  Which charity someone gives to is a personal thing.  The big thing here for the holidays is having a box out for people to give new toys for Christmas gifts for kids whose families are in need.  There is no pressure though, people just put their purchase in the box if they so desire.

 

[scratchingpost8]

My friend had theirs last week - let's just say you don't wanna be that one drunk employee at the party lol blows my mind how there are some people who still get wasted at work parties.  

 

[raina21]

My friend had theirs last week - let's just say you don't wanna be that one drunk employee at the party lol blows my mind how there are some people who still get wasted at work parties.  

All of my fellow employees are friends. Everyone I work with feels comfortable getting "wasted" in front of each other. I don't really drink but I don't judge people who do.