Previous company, company paid party for each group (programs, engineering, technicians, high desert) for just the employee including some VERY nice gifts and in abundance (from think models of our aircraft, to hotel rooms, to $25 gift cards) with a major gift of a pair of airline tickets to anywhere in the United States. Bonuses used to be the week before Christmas then slowly migrated to March/April.

New company (75K employees), employee can pay $50 for the party and bring one guest (additional $50) and no bonus.

quote:

Originally posted by Jman78:
Do you get a bonus ?

Does the company pay for the party ?

In all my years of working the company always payed for some type of event, and usually a small bonus.

I am now selling mid to high end furniture, good size company, and the store Christmas party is at a local restaurant, and it is pay your own way.


I have never heard of a company doing this in almost 30 years of working, in a wide variety of sales environments.

That isn't a company Christmas party. Sorry.

We have a firm-wide luncheon at a nice restaurant for the company party. We send the staff home after lunch. It is a nice lunch with wine. The law firm pays.

we have a pot luck if someone suggests it - otherwise its a mass 'Happy Holidays' email from corporate to all employees... One year they rented a popcorn machine. bahahaha.

I worked for the largest snack food company in the world. Parties were stopped about 15 years ago. And we get nothing from the company.

Nothing.. No party, no bonus, we don't even get a Cornish game hen...lol... This year I am scheduled off for both Xmas Eve and Xmas (we get 8hrs holiday pay for both days per our contract)If we work we are paid double time and a half for our 12 hour shift. I work New years eve and day. And I am not complaining one bit, I am fortunate to have the job that I have.

Y'alls bosses/companies suck. I have never worked for somewhere that didn't give bonuses and almost all companies had Christmas parties (never paid once to attend).

We had a bowl of candy canes in the break room.

Bonus at another time. The boss usually takes their staff to lunch. It's a pleasant lunch because I have a great boss.

Years ago, another boss, she was a good one too. The lunch started with a statement about a good year then a "warning", anyone imbibing cannot go back to work. My boss then summoned the waiter and ordered wine. We spent a very pleasant afternoon not going back to work.

Seems like I'm always on vacation for the week that it happens, so I may never know.

Last Christmas party I went to was about 36 or 37 years ago. It was held at a combo bar and small eatery.

Last alcoholic drink I took was in memoriam of my mother in law, about 1983 or so. That was in a German gastehaus.

That last Christmas party turned out to be a drunken mess, with my second level manager's wife blatantly hitting on me. Unfortunately, he was not too drunk to see it.

I beat a hasty retreat and swore I would never attend another one. And I have not.

But I have been retired since 1986, so there is that. Having said that, I would not have gone to one if they had one. Maybe stick my head in the door and plead prior commitment.

Unfortunately so many of these "functions" turn out to be somewhat unsavory.

quote:

Originally posted by mrmn50:
What a bunch of sour pusses/ pussi ?? pussum ??

Well, have fun if you can. merry Christmas. may God bless you all.

Thanks. And merry Christmas and great new year to you and yours!

Company Christmas party this Friday night. Meal for employee and spouse or guest @ no charge. On your own for alcohol.

The party has been held in a venue that is now too small for the number of people. Packed in like sardines. Have not attended since 2nd year with the company.

All employees receive $25.00 gift card. Bonus; what is this thing you speak of? Some door prizes awarded to attendees. Attendance requested but not an absolute requirement for office personnel. I politely decline.

Never been to one, so take this with a grain of salt.
They should have an AA meeting and a designated driver stand. And it's BYOB. I am single and don't drink, so I don't go.
Ours is also a pay to play affair. No bonuses, no have a nice holiday and I'll be lucky not to have to work through new years.

Our PD union puts on a Christmas dinner catered in. We invite the retired guys that are still around the area, dispatchers, sheriff’s deputies, and Troopers assigned to our PD. They can bring their spouses and kids.

We have a guy who plays a great Santa come for the kids and parents sneak gifts to him to hand out.

Tickets are handed out to union members for door prizes.

Usually a pretty good time.

They used to have a company party in the building after work, usually on a Thursday 2 weeks before Christmas week. They don’t do that any more, it’s off site. This year it was on a Tuesday from 2-4pm. I have work to do, always, and I’m not putting myself behind to attend some bs so I just skip it. People go and get smashed, then migrate off into smaller teams at the local bars. Due to the day, time, etc, it interrupts my workout after work so the only times I have gone is when people are retiring. I’d show up post workout with a plastic bag with my protein powder in it, a banana, and have the bartender make my protein shake for me. The looks and comments were always priceless. I was literally there to shake the hands of the people leaving then I’m out.

We do not get a Christmas bonus of any kind and I’m sorry, I’m there to work. Once that clock stops I’m on my own time. Now if they scheduled it for a Friday or Saturday night that’d be different but that’s not how most corps do it these days. When some of the managers pester about going I tell them to cancel it, and whatever it costs, take that dollar amount, divide by employees and give them a check. I don’t care if it’s just grocery money, I’d be thankful for it and use it. Nope. So my answer is always no unless they are handing out bonuses. To me boos and co-workers don’t match, ever. Seen too many bad things over the year during these events and came close myself a few times of making a mistake, usually involving sex with a co-worker. So I just do like Ronny Ray Gun used to say, just say no.

Guess I should have added that my boss doesn’t drink so there’s no alcohol at our company party.

To be honest, I can’t imagine getting smashed at a company Christmas party - that doesn’t show the bosses how responsible you are, that’s for sure.

I've been to company parties like you see in the movies, where the company gets banned from the hotel due to the behavior of the guests. Many great stories came from those open bars.

I've also been to company parties that had more regulations than attendees. Those get smaller every year, until the company just stops trying all together.

My favorites were the pot-luck lunches, with a card containing a few Benjamins, and a raffle for door prizes. Those were the ones I remember best.

Now I'm a remote worker, and get to sing "All by myself". At least the pay is good...

My company (Im one of four founders but the only one working directly for the company) had our Holiday Party this past Saturday at a Spanish/tapas restaurant in downtown Durham NC. Around 50 people including the +1's. Open bar, great food, tons of fun. Everyone who was in town came to the party and stayed till the end. Great company culture.

Then went next door to a dive bar with two very surly barbacks. "Sorry to ruin your slow (like 5 people in there before we arrived) Sat evening with customers that have jobs and paychecks and can afford to buy drinks and tip well and make you work, bro! Enjoy the filthy lucre."

This year has been tremendously successful (God is indeed very very good) and we bonused (is that a verb?) everyone on average around 10% of their pre-raise salaries. We separate annual review from the holiday party. Normally we would have already told people before the party but this year we had a few timing conflicts that prevented that.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
Y'alls bosses/companies suck. I have never worked for somewhere that didn't give bonuses and almost all companies had Christmas parties (never paid once to attend).

As this country becomes less religious, specifically less Christian, Christmas parties are slowly going by the wayside.
Someone complains, and it's all over. Big companies react and cave to the leftist PC agitators faster than smaller companies where the owners can keep up the tradition.

quote:

Originally posted by Sigfest:
I always worked for hospitals. Notoriously cheap unless you were upper management. They would give you cafeteria Christmas lunch with paper thin prime rib. Best part was nice dessert cart.

Same exact experience here... Minus the dessert cart.