How does it look when you don't go to a company Christmas party?

[steppinthrax]

I did say "advancement within that company," ideally we could all do what you did. Most people aren't half that lucky, so we suck it up until we can either find or make our own luck.

Generally speaking, when you take a new job your going to get a pay increase.....

It's not luck!!!!!!

Either way, you will find another environment with different corporate culture or better benefits/people/commute etc....

When I go to companies and see employees that have been there 10 to 20 years. I see they are most likely the one's who play these "politics games". They are also the ones who lack skills to leave the company.

Generally you leave the company making more than them.....

That has always been my experience (on more than one occasion).

 

[darkewaffle]

It looks like you're a boring shut-in.

 

[Brovane]

Where I worked the big after work Christmas party where you brought your spouse or significant other disappeared several years ago. The last one we had was at the Nixon library and it was real nice. You got to tour the library for free and it was great food, music and of course drinks. Now we have Department Christmas parties during the day somewhere offsite where you just have co-workers and white Elephant gift exchange. It is getting kind of old.

 

[steppinthrax]

I know what you said, but I'm not sure you understood the point behind my story. The point was that I think people don't value themselves or their skills enough and tend to hang on to their companies rather than explore other possibilities. I've never been one to suck up and I despise company social events, so I'm not going to force myself to do things which are so out of character for me when: 1) in all likelihood, it really won't help and 2) I have the skills to back my talk up and can get another job with little effort.

I tend to find within a company you have these type of people.... (there are many other types)

1. Intelligent and Qualified (sometimes overqualified)
2. Stupid

People in Bucket 2 have a tendency to play word games, politics, back-stab, kiss boss ass and everything except trying to gain some more skills or do a better job. They have PhDs in running their mouth. That is their method to gain advantage in the workplace. They will perform "power play" games in a meeting to try to get projects or get the boss on their side. When in actuality they are incorrect.

People in Bucket 1 have to deal with Bucket 2 people. They are known by everything to be very good at what they do (bucket 2 people hate this). They get tired of the shit, find a new job and make more than their boss. 10 years later you still see Bucket 2 people working for the same employer.

 

[xanis]

I totally understand not wanting to go, but sometimes the long-term payoff is worth sucking it up for a little bit. You also never know how it'll really go; I've been to a few things at my new job and I've socialized with a few people and built some new connections. If you really don't want to go (but think you should), just show up for an hour and do the old, "I have something after this but wanted to make sure I stopped by to say hello to everyone."

 

[akugami]

I don't actually go to socialize with my co-workers. I go cause we got a few bottles of this...

 

[BarkingGhostar]

As luck would have it, I've never been invited to one.

 

[Ken g6]

I work for a small company that contracts me out to other companies. (Doing programming.) The boss once tried to get us all together for a Christmas party. It was canceled on account of a couple of feet of snow.

Otherwise, I've only been invited to a company Christmas party once. It was for a company I and a colleague were contracted out to. The job site was about 90 minutes away from my home, and 45 from a colleague's. So neither of us went.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I don't actually go to socialize with my co-workers. I go cause we got a few bottles of this...

Damn, your company need someone to cook for them? Will work for Scotch.

 

[Jeff7]

It looks like you're a boring shut-in.

And darn it, people like that should be left to their own thing, if that's how they are, and what they want. (Or maybe they just don't like other people in large, noisy groups.)

They don't constantly badger other people to spend more time alone, and should be granted the same respect in return.

 

[Engineer]

Working for a small company, sort of makes you an ass not to show up. Of course, every wife or husband of an employee that showed up to dinner got one of these:

 

[Fenixgoon]

i was on travel, so i couldnt make mine.

 

[yh125d]

My company used to (when 15-20 people) just go out to lunch a couple weeks before to a decent restaurant and my boss picked up the tab. The last 2 years we were bought by a larger company, now are 3 companies in the same building with about 60 people total. We have a nice catered dinner at a lodge outside of town (where you might have a middling level wedding reception), with a door prize for every employee (last year a monogrammed fleece throw blanket, this year a set of steak knives), and some pretty decent gifts they draw names for. Last year I got a cordless flexible screwdriver, this year I got one of the higher end Keurigs


I go, but I don't bother changing into nicer clothes. Everyone else is wearing slacks or at least khakis, dress shirt and maybe a tie. I wear what I always wear to work, jeans and a polo. What does that say about me?

 

[Terabyte]

I'll only go if my close co workers are going and if I like the company. I didn't go to the holiday party because I was pissed at the lack of organization my company has. I only have 2 more days (Dec 26-27) of work...so YAY!

If the fact that you didn't go to the holiday party or whatever results in a bad review...that's just BS. The only thing that should really matter is how well you do your job, but there's a lot of other things messed up with society..eh.

 

[BladeVenom]

Send them Christmas cards (or maybe email card), and say you were traveling to visit relatives.

 

[Jeff7]

Send them Christmas cards (or maybe email card), and say you were traveling to visit relatives.

And find another place to park your car, if they know where you live and you don't have a garage and you live next to a main road.
:\

 

[OVerLoRDI]

In my company they only do a managers holiday party. The rest of the employees aren't invited (sales organization, so entry level has massive turn over).

I was invited this year, I am not a manager, but one of the managers I'm close to told me outright to go because it would look bad to not. Got a free dinner, drinks, hotel and flights for the weekend. So really not a bad gig, just not my first choice on how to spend my weekend.

Bottom line, unless the company is freaking huge and you won't be missed, you should attend.

 

[BladeVenom]

And find another place to park your car, if they know where you live and you don't have a garage and you live next to a main road.
:\

Of course your car is in the driveway when a friend or taxi took you to the airport. :sneaky:

 

[mikeford]

Its full of plus, I would need a good reason not to attend. Free food, free booze, chance to speak to boss's boss's boss, potential enhanced social contacts within the company.

Why don't you see it as plus?

 

[yllus]

Man, this year I went to my division's Christmas party, then got invited to and cabbed across town to another division's Christmas party to join them at midnight. That was on a Wednesday night - didn't feel quite right the rest of the week.

It's entirely possible for these things to be pretty lame or awkward, but thankfully this year we were lucky.

 

[Jeff7]

Of course your car is in the driveway when a friend or taxi took you to the airport. :sneaky:

Ahhhh, yes, of course.

And the lights were on a timer.


If only I were a drinker, then I could also easily "forget" the "vacation" when unexpectedly asked about it.
Well, I guess I'd better get started if I'm going to be ready for next year.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I spent the night in the office when we had our party... night shift, 24/7 operation. So in my case I look like I took one for the team. :biggrin: Somebody has to do it. This year it was me.

They gave me cash though from the Christmas party fund so I ordered myself a nice supper.

 

[adairusmc]

We only have 20 employees in the whole company, and I used to go but stopped going 3 years ago. If they paid me my hourly wage I might consider going again, but otherwise I can fill volumes of things that I would rather be doing.