Office Christmas party - huge blowout or a low key affair?
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After a year where investors have lost life savings and businesses have fallen over, it's good to know the economy seems to be on the mend. But has this translated into a merrier Christmas party in New Zealand workplace offices?
We're interested in hearing about your office parties - have the purse-strings been loosened by your employer this year, or has your party gone the way of Iceland? Is your office bash a huge blowout or a low key affair?
Last year, when world financial markets stood on the brink of self-destruction, the global Christmas party scene was a low-key affair, if not outright cancelled.
Google, which in the run up to 2008 was famed for its lavish Christmas functions, threw relatively sedate parties and locked out plus-ones.
Bloggers reported even the most glamorous of companies including Hollywood studio Paramount and make-up magnates Estee Lauder turned to "austerity chic", cancelling them outright.
This year, US financial powerhouse Goldman Sachs, dubbed the "giant vampire squid of Wall Street", banned Christmas functions across all its worldwide officers to keep a low profile after making billions on the back of a US public bailout.
Mind you, Goldman employees probably won't feel too put out, seeing as the bank has set aside a record NZ$23 billion for worker bonuses this year, which translates to roughly NZ$963,000 for each employee.
So what about you? Is your workplace ringing in the festive season with a Christmas party full of good cheer? Or are cries of "Bah, Humbug!" putting the kibosh on your end-of-year function?
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Anne # 36 -- dont work in the hospo industry if you dont like the hours -- nice customer service ethic -- dont you get double time and a day in lieu anyway
My coworkers are being laid off, including my fiance. We have been paid late this month. I don't think there will be a party on the cards this year. Be thankful!
I work in a bank. We were asked to pay $20 for the Chrismas party this year. Well worth it as it was a great night.
Our employers have historically put on the most amazing events at Christmas - The bus, the champagne, wine, amazing caterers at a private homestead, partners, a band, playtoys for the kids - always a stunning day at approx $350 per head....claybird shooting, archery, horseriding..amazing day. This year - with the huge amount of work going on, the decision was made to delay the party till the new year. Makes sense. But oh - you would have thought it was the end of the world the way some of the younger ones reacted!
woo hoo! I don't think they consider that they are really well catered for with breakfast, designer coffee machine, drinks, lunches, dinners.... They want to try working in the public sector for oh....I'd give them a week!
My employer is a govt dept. They used to throw pretty good parties with a couple of drinks thrown in for free, but not too many because it would look bad "in the public eye". Now they have changed it all for the older people who work there. It's a dinner. There's no party. They make us pay for it, and if you bring a partner you pretty much need a bank loan. What a way to cap off a year of crap cut backs that made us feel respected for the truly horrible things we have to put up with. Congrats to govt managers ... that untraceable Masters/Doctorate is really showing.
there are only a few small handfull of people at my work worth talking to and most of these work dos are all the same after 20 years yawn!
Our Christmas party is on a Tuesday FFS! They even told us via email a couple of weeks ago that they don't want anyone coming in hungover (which is fair enough, can't work drunk) ... so why the heck is it on a Tuesday then? Do they expect over 250 employees to remain sober at the Christmas party?
I'm a public servant within a unit of 100+ skilled educated people. We haven’t had a proper Christmas party in well over five years and alcohol is banned from the premises without special permission. For years all we have been given is one-hour off work for a "party" or a lunch but we have to pay for it ourselves (work contribution = $0). No alcohol may be consumed at lunch. No leaving early on Xmas eve either. Ella @ #35 - $6! Luxury!
This year we had a much smaller budget for team events, no firm wide event AND our christmas presents are being 'donated to charity'. Call me materialistic but I already donate to charities and work my butt off for this place - a wee token of appreciation wouldn't have gone astray. It's not like we're going to be getting payrises or anything silly like that now is it!!
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Beach #45
You totally misunderstood the comment by anne #36. She is not complaining, simply stating the facts. Are you also criticising doctors and nurses for complaining about their jobs?! Maybe you've never had a job in an industry where you are expected to work on Christmas day. If you haven't I don't think you have any business telling those people how they should feel about it.