Work Christmas night out

[AudiMan9000]

Are work Christmas nights out still a ‘thing’? Or have they died a death since the pandemic?

Last year a small number of people from my team went for a Xmas meal. This year a company-wide night out has been planned, but there is apparently very little interest in going.

I’ve suggested a night out with my team, even if just a few drinks, and got a Luke warm response.

Is the office Xmas party / office Christmas night out still a thing or is it an anachronism in a post-Covid, post-WFH world?

[MOMACC]

I spend enough time with the people I work with. I'd rather spend my time out with friends and family.

[xx99xx]

It's only a thing if you want it to be. Assuming it's not compulsory, let everyone decide for themselves and those that want to go out, can. It's good to at least give people the option.

Being sociable shouldn't be a fashion 'thing', either people want to do something or they don't.

My personal experience is that most people can't be arsed to even go to the office to do work, let alone leave the house to have food and drinks with their colleagues for a few hours.

[LosingGrip]

I've got one with my old team this year. Had one last year as well (although there was only four of us in the end!).

Not sure if there will be one with my new team.

[Vasco]

Like a lot of other things post-covid, it seems that Xmas parties, and for that matter larger gatherings, have lost enthusiasm from many. I reckon that many staff now prefer to just go out with their immediate friends - whether from work or not.

[hotchy]

I personally love them. I don't have one but the wife does and its a night of freedom. I have to be th taxi but the rest of the night I get to be a single slob with my pizza box and snacks left all over the place.

I then clean up before she's back because it's just not worth it.

[GR86]

Since we started working from home I interact with even fewer people in the office, so it would be going out with a load of strangers, and if you get really drunk you're probably asking for trouble so I can't be bothered.

To be honest with kids I rarely go out with my friends!

[Animal]

My company is quite small and has staff around the country so we've been told we're not having one this year. Bit of a shame but whatever. Used to really enjoy them when my whole team could get together and have fun.

[Wills2]

AudiMan9000 said:

I’ve suggested a night out with my team, even if just a few drinks, and got a Luke warm response.

Maybe, just maybe....you could look at that response and reflect.

[Om]

Still a thing for us. We are all pretty much homeworkers so try to get together a few times a year. The Christmas meet up is just being organised. There will be about 20 of us meeting up for a few days in Dec, having some food and beers and generally having a good time.

[snotrag]

AudiMan9000 said:

Is the office Xmas party / office Christmas night out still a thing or is it an anachronism in a post-Covid, post-WFH world?

Once we get past the middle of November and into the spinning, commercialised, expensive whirlwind that is the build up to Christmas, a chance to relax and socialise, and for many people, the opportunity to get the kids bedtime covered, matchup calendars with your partner and the rest of the family, and squeeze a night out in amongst all the other madness is even more difficult than usual.

MOMACC said:

I spend enough time with the people I work with. I'd rather spend my time out with friends and family.

Vasco said:

I reckon that many staff now prefer to just go out with their immediate friends - whether from work or not.

GR86 said:

To be honest with kids I rarely go out with my friends!

See?

Just becuase a company wide Xmas do doesnt seem to garner a huge response, doesnt mean that people might not want to do it - but you are likely to find that people often might not really want to spend it with EVERYONE including their boss - small teams that actually get on, or work well together may well be arranging their own celebrations seperately to spend that hard earned time off with people they actualy want to spend it with.
See also this comment here:

Wills2 said:

AudiMan9000 said:

I’ve suggested a night out with my team, even if just a few drinks, and got a Luke warm response.

Maybe, just maybe....you could look at that response and reflect.

For a potential example of that!

Second point -

Its also all well and good asking staff to come to a Christmas do if it ends up costing them a fortune - again, at a time of the year when that spend has to be carefully managed. I have worked for a company that DID manage to have a very successful tradition of Christmas parties (aswell as Summer do's) , and guess what - they were putting their hand in their pocket and actually paying for it (All of it, food, drink etc... need a hotel? No problem).


The response shown by employees to a companies invite, could be a very good indicator of just what those employees think of that company, and the offer received!

Edited by snotrag on Friday 21st October 08:09

[Tickle]

Our offices have individual Christmas events. I'm not too bothered about the official events, having a young family I have to pick my nights out, and if they are worth the effort.

The team I'm in within the organisation have quarterly nights out in Manchester, but are mainly based around eating more than drinking. Quite a good team of foodies, so it's good. Also funded by work!

We do also get Christmas events for professional institutes (IGEM and Pipeline Industries Guild in my case), nice to go to their respective Christmas/annual events.

With working from home predominantly, it's good interaction.

[HTP99]

Used to have a big company one with partners too but many didn't like it as it was quite formal and you were expected to attend, if I am expected to attend anything that is in effect voluntary then I don't attend and neither did many others, so it was changed to £50 a head and do what you want so generally we go out as a branch, something far less formal and stuffy, this £50 isn't set in stone either, as long as no one takes the piss then it is flexible.

The MD tends to attend and he is great with putting his hand in his pocket so it is a good night, we had our most recent one in May this year lol!!

[Richard-390a0]

MOMACC said:

I spend enough time with the people I work with. I'd rather spend my time out with friends and family.

Yep I've not done an xmas works do in over 20yrs now.

[Countdown]

In my experience people will attend if they know that

There will be plenty of free food
There will be plenty of free drink
Its going to be in a nice place

People won't pay to spend time with people they don't necessarily like whilst having food they don't necessarily enjoy in a place they wouldn't normally choose to go to.

[iphonedyou]

AudiMan9000 said:

Are work Christmas nights out still a ‘thing’? Or have they died a death since the pandemic?

Last year a small number of people from my team went for a Xmas meal. This year a company-wide night out has been planned, but there is apparently very little interest in going.

I’ve suggested a night out with my team, even if just a few drinks, and got a Luke warm response.

Is the office Xmas party / office Christmas night out still a thing or is it an anachronism in a post-Covid, post-WFH world?

Your every waking thought really is run past PH for advice, isn't it!?

[DiscoSINGH]

No corporate/companywide Christmas do for us (its been like that since 2020) - but our company sends out Christmas hampers to us which is nice.

Might be department based Christmas do's - not sure yet?

[djc206]

Countdown said:

In my experience people will attend if they know that

There will be plenty of free food
There will be plenty of free drink
Its going to be in a nice place

People won't pay to spend time with people they don't necessarily like whilst having food they don't necessarily enjoy in a place they wouldn't normally choose to go to.

We don’t get any money for our Christmas do any more and we still get a good turn out. Brewery followed by curry house, few beers in a pub afterwards and then the numbers thin as the night goes on. Usually ends with a dozen or so of the originally three dozen attendees in a stty nightclub.

[Jamescrs]

I usually go on the team nights out as I get on with them but I avoid the big whole office nights out as i'm just not that fussed about spending time with people I don't particuarly want to engage with day to day.

Won't be doing any this year as the Christmas parties fall in line with me being on call for the week, probably a good excuse really.

[LeadFarmer]

I'm a bit weary of going on work Xmas do's since one of the bosses invited himself along which kind of spoilt the atmosphere a little. The next day at work he dragged a few people into his office, something about someone saying something inappropriate for work and the others not challenging them!! Nobody had complained about anyone else, it was just the boss being the 'big I am'.

When I heard about that I stopped going on them. I go out to relax, not to worry if someone I work with might/could/will be offended.