I’m sorry. It hurts to be excluded, whatever the reason. I hope you can do something nice for yourself this weekend.

Op,

I work for a large Fortune 500. Contractors are not invited to the holiday parties - not because no one wants them there but because of policy. The concern is that holiday parties are for employees and it further blurs the lines between contractor and employee, potentially opening the company up to legal action later on by the employee.

So long as you aren’t the only contractor excluded I wouldn’t read into it.

Why didn't you just go?

You have every right to feel that way. It's annoying, unfriendly, and yet another way that companies unintentionally make contractors feel like second-class citizens - or Cinderellas who are left behind to do the work while others are away. I had a similar experience - disinvited from an offsite team meeting even though I had been part of the team in every other way. It seems even worse in this business climate where companies and the government are using on-site contractors more to get the work done without committing to budgets. So while yes there are legality issues - managers should have more heart.

Whenever people are talking about it, join into the conversation with a smile (sounds SOOOO fun, wish I could be there) make it suuuuper awkward.

Mostly kidding

Do you have anyone you can casually and politely ask about this? Maybe somebody who is a friend, not a superior or HR? I would feel excluded too, but I bet it's an oversight. In my office, if we have to specifically exclude a contractor from something, we always tell them in advance to avoid any confusion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a "temp," are you a contractor? There may be specific blanket policies against including you. In the Fed-world, it would not be permissible.

um, we include our contractors in our holiday party. I think the problem is that it can get dicey when they are getting paid to not do work. but lots of offices paper it over as a mandatory officewide event. it might not be scanning papers or whatever their primary contract duties are, but it is an important team-building event and we pay our contractors to go, just like they might get paid to go to staff meetings, to introduce themselves around the office, to go to an awards ceremony, to go to trainings and other types of events that aren't just scanning papers.

We have events that I am paid to go to work but also have had dinner at them with no issues. I just don't understand this situation or perhaps they're creating distance?

Anonymous wrote:As a "temp," are you a contractor? There may be specific blanket policies against including you. In the Fed-world, it would not be permissible.

I am not contractor but if this is the case, I wouldn't have minded but I would have liked for someone to acknowledge that to me. Policy is policy and I understand my limits, it has never been an issue.

Anonymous wrote:As a "temp," are you a contractor? There may be specific blanket policies against including you. In the Fed-world, it would not be permissible.

um, we include our contractors in our holiday party. I think the problem is that it can get dicey when they are getting paid to not do work. but lots of offices paper it over as a mandatory officewide event. it might not be scanning papers or whatever their primary contract duties are, but it is an important team-building event and we pay our contractors to go, just like they might get paid to go to staff meetings, to introduce themselves around the office, to go to an awards ceremony, to go to trainings and other types of events that aren't just scanning papers.

As a "temp," are you a contractor? There may be specific blanket policies against including you. In the Fed-world, it would not be permissible.

The director of my office came by to tell me to have a good weekend and that he was on his way to the holiday party so I don't think it was an oversight -- disappointed and semi-hurt but I guess it is my fault for getting attached. Over the summer I lost someone close and they were very comforting, sent flowers and all so I am surprised.

Anonymous wrote:I would feel the same way!!

So would I but sadly, this is how quite a few businesses are. There can be a strict line of demarcation for contractors/temps vs perm staff. Some companies aren't like this, thankfully, but mine definitely is. It gets really weird and feels so mean given how closely we work with our contractors and temp folks.

I bet it is an oversight. Like the email invite was went to a group that did not include temps.

I would feel the same way!!

I have been "temping" at a company. I did the first part of the year, took leave, and ended up back here. I'm applying for new jobs, they've said multiple times they would hire me but we're in a hiring freeze - multiple positions in the office have not been filled because of this. Each supervisor has given me glowing recommendations thus far. So good so far.

However, I noticed today was a holiday party but I was not invited. It is not in our location since we are off site but within walking distance. Everyone has been talking about it around me but no one has said anything to me. I feel uncomfortable, and sort of sad since I feel so apart of the office at this point. Is this normal as a temp?