Full time remote workers - what does your workplace do for holiday parties for you if anything?

[Anonymous]

Federal employees wondering what a holiday party is.

[Anonymous]

It would be nice if they flew you in for it but WFH is a huge benefit so I’d take that over forced socialization!

[Anonymous]

Job perks:
1. Working remotely and not having to go to the office
2. Not having to attend work parties

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you don’t attend work in person, why would you expect to be included in an in-person gathering? I presume you could go into the office if you chose.

+1
You have chosen not to come into the office. You can come into the office for the party if you wanted, but you don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Federal employees wondering what a holiday party is.

I know! It's the giant potluck we pay for ourselves!

[Anonymous]

It's weird you would expect a gift. People attending the party aren't getting gifts.

At mine, you can opt to come to the holiday party if you want, at your expense. Otherwise, nothing. I think they assume remote workers don't want to come (and they're right).

During covid everyone in my office had a remote holiday party. It was OK - we all brought our own hot drinks to the video call and chatted, I think there was a game - but I'm not sure it was worth repeating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Federal employees wondering what a holiday party is.

My office is having one this week. We are going to lunch at a bar nearby. Voluntary $10 contribution to shared appetizers. If you want anything to drink or more food, pay for it yourself. Also doing a $10 max white elephant game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Job perks:
1. Working remotely and not having to go to the office
2. Not having to attend work parties

Amen!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Job perks:
1. Working remotely and not having to go to the office
2. Not having to attend work parties

This!

[Anonymous]

I’m at an office where remote employees were invited and everyone really got upset about it.
-they asked for per diem and mileage to come to the party
-they only are showing for the party and leaving right afterwards. Everyone who isn’t remote is required to put in a full day.
-people really thought it should be a perk for those of us who show up and do the day to day in office grunt work. Babysitting a bunch of remote workers was like extra work.

I really think management needs to rethink this. Our party was paid for by all managers, not by the company.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Federal employees wondering what a holiday party is.

You didn’t have a potluck in the conference room that cost $10 to attend?

[Anonymous]

Remote employees are ridiculously entitled. They don’t show for team building. They don’t show for client meetings. They get out of mentoring. We have to do extra work trying to get the video com system to work for every meeting. But if you have a party they want a gift sent to them?

[Anonymous]

Where is everyone getting that I said I wanted a gift sent to me? I threw out GrubHub bc it's like a shared meal kind of.

Some background...the office is in New York City but I was hired on the condition I work in St. Louis, where I live and where the industry we are in has a big presence.

But to PP's points - I worked in newspapers for years where there were no parties because there was no money, and also have been part of "forced fun" in an escape room with coworkers followed by a spy themed restaurant lunch. So I was trying to figure out what was standard here and it seems like not doing anything for remote is standard.

I'm not sure how I'm "ridiculously entitled" when I was hired because they wanted someone in this city, but not to pay rent for an office space here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where is everyone getting that I said I wanted a gift sent to me? I threw out GrubHub bc it's like a shared meal kind of.

Some background...the office is in New York City but I was hired on the condition I work in St. Louis, where I live and where the industry we are in has a big presence.

But to PP's points - I worked in newspapers for years where there were no parties because there was no money, and also have been part of "forced fun" in an escape room with coworkers followed by a spy themed restaurant lunch. So I was trying to figure out what was standard here and it seems like not doing anything for remote is standard.

I'm not sure how I'm "ridiculously entitled" when I was hired because they wanted someone in this city, but not to pay rent for an office space here.

Some of this is a generalization because we’re dealing with the ridiculously entitled employees at our own orgs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where is everyone getting that I said I wanted a gift sent to me? I threw out GrubHub bc it's like a shared meal kind of.

Some background...the office is in New York City but I was hired on the condition I work in St. Louis, where I live and where the industry we are in has a big presence.

But to PP's points - I worked in newspapers for years where there were no parties because there was no money, and also have been part of "forced fun" in an escape room with coworkers followed by a spy themed restaurant lunch. So I was trying to figure out what was standard here and it seems like not doing anything for remote is standard.

I'm not sure how I'm "ridiculously entitled" when I was hired because they wanted someone in this city, but not to pay rent for an office space here.

You said in your OP you wanted a gift card, that is why people have the idea. No, a restaurant gift card is not like a shared meal.

I do like that this situation clarifies what office holiday parties are. They aren't a gift to employees: it's not about rewarding people. They are for team building, and in some workplaces it's a little but of social screening.