Office Parties

[Elok]

I just bowed out of attending one, after realizing that I was looking forward to it with overwhelming dread. Why the devil do people throw these things? Has anyone ever actually enjoyed attending an office party, whether for holidays or for some other reason? I mean, I barely even know my "coworkers," since we all teach separately, so it would basically be me, my boss whom I relate to with a kind of frosty civility, and a bunch of more-or-less strangers. With cocktails. If I were in a traditional office, that might actually be worse, since then the festivities would likely turn into a seething pit of office drama.

Whyyyyy?

[loinburger]

I've been to two good office parties: one was a barbecue with volleyball, and another was a barbecue with miniature golf. As long as there's **** to do besides mingling they have the potential to be fun.

[Lorizael]

Whenever I get invited to the office holiday party, I ask what day it is, nod my head solemnly, and say that I can't go because there's a Jew holiday that day.

[Hauldren Collider]

Your coworkers must be ignorant as hell for that to work consistently.

[Lorizael]

It helps that I generally don't keep jobs longer than a year.

[Elok]

I've been to two good office parties: one was a barbecue with volleyball, and another was a barbecue with miniature golf. As long as there's **** to do besides mingling they have the potential to be fun.

Actually, that probably would be fun. The party I just dodged? Even the person organizing it at the boss's request expressed some unease about it, because it would just be everyone hanging around with food and booze. No spouses/significant others allowed either. Yikes.

[Jon Miller]

I have often had a good time, but it helps to be a friendly person and physicists are generally happy to talk about physics.

The worst was at JLab, where I arrived late (because I was working), and after a bit of 'screwing around' which I mostly missed (some things were cool like a paper airplane contest), the party got over before 5pm so that people could go back to work...

JM

[Imran Siddiqui]

I don't mind going to mine. It's usually just a lunch anyways with a White Elephant game.

[C0ckney]

i went to one yesterday. a BBQ and drinks at my boss' apartament complex. everyone enjoyed themselves, we ate a lot and talked, then played a few sports and people drank and danced. it got a little bit boring after everyone got drunk (i was stone cold sober, haven't touched a drop for well over a year) and started doing the boring things that drunk people do. telling the same story several times and talking confused ****e mostly. there was one particular incident when my boss corned me and decided to tell me that he was alcoholic and then started a rambling, emotional explantion about the whole thing. mecifully someone saved the day with some drunken antics which distracted him long enough for me to get away without appearing rude.

overall though it was nice and it showed me that i probably won't be spending too much time socialising with my colleagues in future.

[Uncle Sparky]

The dinner theatre I'm involved in hosts dozens of Christmas/Office parties at this time of year.
Generally, it works out well. People eat, drink, and mingle for about an hour or two, the see a show, have more drinks and desserts, then leave. So people can drink & mingle as much, or little as they want.
Our own Christmas/office party takes place in January, when we have time.

[Kuciwalker]

I have been to one office party, which was excellent because it had an open bar, and pool.

[BlackCat]

I have been to one office party, which was excellent because it had an open bar, and pool.

Open bars are good - free bars are better

[Kuciwalker]

That's what "open bar" means.

[molly bloom]

Has anyone ever actually enjoyed attending an office party, whether for holidays or for some other reason?

Oh yes. I don't drink alcohol, so the post-party inquests/blackmail possibilities are great fun. The food tends to be variable (quality and quantity).

[rah]

The annual party that I used to throw for my department consisted of a quick BBQ at my house with people bringing food to cook. Which we would produce fake receipts for and get expense money that we would divy up to be used for betting at the race track right after lunch. The people must have liked it because over the 7 years that we did it, no one in the department ever bailed on it. And every year at least one person would end up winning a decent amount of money.