If you are one of the people who dread forced holiday fun, it may be a surprise for you to learn that some companies actually require attendance at work social events — either explicitly or implicitly.
For the record, I’ve never worked anywhere that this was the case. I mean, yes, if you get hammered and act stupid, that’s obviously going to impact your job (probably, unless you work in the kind of place where your boss is right there with you), but pretty much everywhere I’ve ever worked, people came if they felt like it, had a drink or two and some snacks, and not one person ever gave it another thought.
Caveat: I’ve worked for the government for my entire career. It might be different in more sociopathic industries.
I’ve never heard of a company requiring attendance. And if they do, they must pay, employment law 101.
This is a not a helpful article unless you lack social skills, and if that’s the case, you may not want to attend such an event.
I know multiple people who got wild at company parties and were forced out afterwards.
But yeah, yours is the standard, responsible (and boring) adult scenario. Which is also why it’s more of a chore than enjoyable to me.
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I don’t attend the ones during work hours. Socializing with mainly people I don’t know is more work than work.
The people who come up with this twisted corporate shit need to be banished from society forever
Yup. “Corporate culture” is really just another name for cult.
In my 20s, I always skipped the office holiday party. I love partying. I enjoy drinking. And a lot of my coworkers were young and attractive. I simply never heard of anything good coming out of that mix. Like: The risks (doing something foolish, losing respect) FAR outweigh the potential gains (flirting with someone? Or, maybe hooking up with them if you’re really really discrete, but that felt unlikely in any of the places where our offices had parties.)
Ugh.
