"Holiday" work celebrations

[greenfreak]

My company has never really celebrated the holidays in a big way since I've been working here and bonuses have been pitiful or non-existant in the last few years due to "financial burdens". I haven't gotten a raise in a few years either.

On the other hand, Rusty's company throws a holiday party for all their employees, including spouses at various catering halls in the area. Tonight we're going to a place I considered first for the wedding but we could not afford it. It's an elegant place, has ponds and waterfalls on the grounds, an atrium, beautiful ballroom, etc. And it's a sit-down meal with a DJ, we've upgraded from a buffet. Oh and Rusty is expecting at least a few hunderd dollars bonus this year in addition to the raise they just gave him.

So I'm quite jealous to begin with but at least I can share in the festivities.

Today it was proposed by a co-worker that we have a "Secret Santa". And wouldn't you know it, more than one person was up in arms about it being called "Secret Santa" instead of "Non-discriminatory Festivity for all equal peoples" or some shit. Fine, call it a HOLIDAY grab-bag or something. But it just douses the already low holiday spirit around here when you try to do something nice.

Please tell me someone out there does nice things with their co-workers for the holidays and that your company treats you right. It would give me hope.

 

[Professur]

I leave them alone. The best gift I could think of for them.

 

[Nixy]

At school the Civil Engineering Society (of which I am a member) organizes a holiday party which we call "Festivus" (it's "For the rest of us" ). It was last night actually, it was FABULOUS. People have to buy tickets but for $30 you get a roast beef buffet along with vegetarian pasta, various salads, bread, veggies and this year we hired a DJ!! It was SO GREAT! Cash bar and everyone had a BLAST!

My mom's work throws a Christmas party too. Where she used to work had changed to a "Holiday Brunch" where they had the Santa and gifts for the kids but it was also a whole family thing with a buffet brunch cause people were SAYING they would come to an adult party but then not showing up and it was costing the company so much money for wasted food...well, it went to shelters but for what they paid for the plates they coulda got AWHOLE lot more for the shelters...and people actually showed up to the brunch cause it was everything in one and VERY VERY nice. Where she works this year is throwing a Christmas party on Dec 10. I am gonna be her date. Apparently it's prime rib, a certain number of free drink tickets and it's pretty swanky (gonna wear the same dress I wore last night). I am excited

 

[Nixy]

Oh, here is some pics from last night Unfortunately my hair prolly won't be like that on the 10th...the party is at 6pm, I have an exam until 3:30pm...it takes a good 1.5hrs AFTER the hot rollers are in before you can take them out...oh well, straight hair it will have to be.

 

[HomeLAN]

Today it was proposed by a co-worker that we have a "Secret Santa". And wouldn't you know it, more than one person was up in arms about it being called "Secret Santa" instead of "Non-discriminatory Festivity for all equal peoples" or some shit. Fine, call it a HOLIDAY grab-bag or something. But it just douses the already low holiday spirit around here when you try to do something nice.

This is why so many places won't do shit. All you get in return is an assload of bitching and the potential for fucking lawsuits.

We do a potluck lunch and a secret santa deal here, but we're small. You get more than 50 folks involved in something like this, and it becomes a cluster-fuck in an almighty hurry.

 

[BeardofPants]

Yeah, the social club has organised something at the oriental express. Won't be going though, as they're all a bunch of fucktards, and the place is crap ('specially for vegetarians). We just got a 5% pay rise, as our collective employment agreement just got renegotiated (work for a union).

BF works for a big IT company, so they always do something big. Usually hire out a whole cinema so we can watch the latest blockbuster, and then someplace for dinner. The best year was when they hired out the auckland museum, and we had dinner there, a string quartet, and we could look around at the Sir Edmund Hillary exhibit (clamber all over a mock everest glacier with what would have been the weight he was carrying in his backpack... fuck it was heavy! ). Too bad we were also exposed to that monstrosity of a movie called Lord of the Rings which was the free blockbuster that we saw that year.

 

[unclehobart]

This is why so many places won't do shit. All you get in return is an assload of bitching and the potential for fucking lawsuits.

We do a potluck lunch and a secret santa deal here, but we're small. You get more than 50 folks involved in something like this, and it becomes a cluster-fuck in an almighty hurry.

The FunCo parties were a fairly decent blast though... of course those were thrown juuuust before society got a big case of self-righteous puckerbutt.

 

[Dave]

the hospital is having a christmas party for the staff at a local function hall.
i'm not planing on going. i've found its better to avoid company parties. way too much drama.

 

[SouthernN'Proud]

We're 8 in this office. We do a little holiday covered dish meal kind of thing, and exchange small gifts which no one really wants but who are we to break tradition? I personally would prefer to just go out to a nice restaurant together and have a meal and call it good enough, but there's always one or two in every crowd who just insist on having gifts involved somehow.

Other places I've worked have done bigger shebangs, and they were equally as dull.

I'd rather spend my holiday time with people I want to be with instead of those I am paid to be with. But then, I'm weird. Shut up Gonz.

 

[Inkara1]

The FunCo parties were a fairly decent blast though...

I would sure hope so... given the name and all.

 

[A.B.Normal]

Today it was proposed by a co-worker that we have a "Secret Santa". And wouldn't you know it, more than one person was up in arms about it being called "Secret Santa" instead of "Non-discriminatory Festivity for all equal peoples" or some shit. Fine, call it a HOLIDAY grab-bag or something. But it just douses the already low holiday spirit around here when you try to do something nice.

Please tell me someone out there does nice things with their co-workers for the holidays and that your company treats you right. It would give me hope.

Because as we all know Santa was very Prevalent in the Bible. I believe he missed the Last Supper however,something about Mrs. Claus being horny and just because Christmas was the only time of the year "Santa comes" doesn't mean she should do without the rest of the year.




Costo has a Social Club , you have the option to have $2 from every paycheck go to a party just before Christmas ,don't think its called a "Christmas Party" though.

 

[PT]

FROM; Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
TO Everyone
RE Christmas Party
DATE December 1

I'm happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on
December 23, starting at noon in the banquet room at Luigi's Open Pit Barbecue.
No-host bar, but plenty of eggnog! We'll have a small band playing traditional
carols...feel free to sing along. And don't be surprised if our CEO shows up
dressed as Santa Claus!

_____________________________________________________________________
FROM; Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
DATE December 2
RE Christmas Party

In no way was yesterday's memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We recognize that Chanukah is an important holiday which often coincides with
Christmas, though unfortunately not this year.

However, from now on, we're calling it our "Holiday Party".
___________________________________________________________________
FROM; Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
DATE December 7
RE Holiday Party

What a diverse company we are! I had no idea that December 20 begins the Muslim
holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating, drinking and sex during daylight
hours. There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a luncheon this
time of year does not accommodate our Muslim employees' beliefs. Perhaps
Luigi's can hold off on serving your meal until the end of the party...the days
are so short this time of year...or else package everything for take-home in
little foil swans.

___________________________________________________________________
FROM; Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
DATE December 8
RE Holiday Party

So December 22 marks the Winter Solstice... Fire regulations at Luigi's prohibit
the burning of sage by our earth-based, Goddess-worshipping employees, but
we'll try to accommodate your shamanic drumming circle during the band's
breaks.

____________________________________________________________________

FROM; Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
Date December 9
RE Holiday Party

People, people, nothing sinister was intended by having our CEO dress up like
Santa Claus! Even if the anagram of "Santa" does happen to be "Satan", there is
no evil connotation to our own "little man in a red suit". It's a tradition,
folks, like sugar shock at Halloween or family feuds over the Thanksgiving
turkey or broken hearts on Valentine's Day. Could we lighten up?

____________________________________________________________________

FROM; Pat Lewis, Human Resources Director
DATE December 10
RE Holiday Party

Vegetarians!?!?!? I've had it with you people!!! We're going to keep this party
at Luigi's Open Pit Barbecue whether you like it or not, so you can sit quietly
at the table farthest from the "grill of death", as you so quaintly put it, and
you'll get your #$%^&*! salad bar, including hydroponic tomatoes...but you know,
tomatoes have feelings, too. Tomatoes scream when you slice them...I've heard
them scream, I'm hearing them scream right now...!

____________________________________________________________________

FROM Teri Bishops, Acting Human Resources Director
DATE December 14
RE Pat Lewis and Holiday Party

I'm sure I speak for all of us in wishing Pat Lewis a speedy recovery from her
stress-related illness and I'll continue to forward your cards to her at the
sanatarium. In the meantime, management has decided to cancel the Holiday
party and give everyone the afternoon of the 23rd off with full pay.

Happy Chanue-Kwanzaa-Solsti-Rama-Mas!

 

[Luis G]

Please tell me someone out there does nice things with their co-workers for the holidays and that your company treats you right. It would give me hope.

Over here, with a 95% of catholic population, it is just christmas and nobody bitches about it.

 

[Gato_Solo]

We're having a "holiday party". Guess nobody has caught on that Holiday is actually derived from the words Holy Day...

 

[unclehobart]

Greeeat... now it will be called something like 'seasonal social'.

 

[Nixy]

Greeeat... now it will be called something like 'seasonal social'.

But those parts of the world who do not get seasons will take that as a taunt!!!

 

[AlphaTroll]

Funny this thread should see the light of day the very day we had our Christmas lunch - closed the office at 12h00 and we all went out to lunch on the company's bill. Starters, main, desserts and drinks included (and the boss, bless his Scottish soul) insisted we all have cocktails.....one after the other....! I was plonked after just two of the damned things (called jam jars - they basically fill a canfruit bottle with white spirits & some fruit juice).

And yeah, we do get bonuses (usually on our birthdays though) and I have had two very nice increases and a promotion this year already - no such thing like annual increases, it's purely based on performance.

 

[MrBishop]

more than one person was up in arms about it being called "Secret Santa" instead of "Non-discriminatory Festivity for all equal peoples" or some shit.

Since when is Santa about religion? Unless you're talking about the religion of conspicuous consumption, of course