Maybe I am just jaded, but are office parties and donations getting out of hand? Today is supposed to be some "assistants day", changed from secretary's day. I learned yesterday we are taking our two "assistants" to lunch today. This, after I learned our office is hosting a "shower" for our director who had twins. ENOUGH! Now, it seems every month, we have a "party" for somebody and for some reason. Give cash, bring in food, need money for a gift. For this reason, I tell my office to ignore my birthday. As for the assistants, we have two. They divide their time by taking days off and when here, disappearing. If we could combine the two, we would have one decent assistant who may be here when needed. As for the shower, I try to explain it is a girl thing and I will eat my lunch at the nearby diner. When she was prego, she had to be off her feet. She was at home, alone, with nothing to do, so the ladies in the office decided "we" needed to buy her a DVD player. The men are gorssly outnumberd here. So, we got a DVD player and, of course, women can't leave well enough alone, "we" had to get other stuff to go along with it. That was four months ago. ENOUGH! Now, a shower and the invitation is sent to the entire office (staff of about 120 over 6 divisions), inviting them for lunch and a shower, "FOOD PROVIDED". Who is paying for that? ENOUGH! I have been asked for money for shower gifts, asked to give cash for food, and to bring in a dish. Now, I not only get to buy lunch for these "assistants", but they also asked for money to get them each a gift. ENOUGH! I did have $1.86 in my pocket this morning and I just got back from the ATM. Twice a month, we have an office meeting. Somebody is designated to bring snacks. ENOUGH! This month alone, we have had two staff meetings with snacks, two birthdays (can't have them together, two cakes, two gifts), this frikken lunch with gifts, and a baby shower next week. The entire office had a shower two months ago, now my particular office is having it's own. ENOUGH!

Am I just being to sensitive about this? Is it just my office or is this a national problem? :confused:

One more frikken thing. Why is it a woman is very sensitive about her age but wants the world to know she is now a "Grandma"? Every damn day, I have to listen to her new "grandbaby" stories. I swear, the kid is about to solve world problems and drive. The kid is only one week old. Cut me some slack. :angry:

OK, I'm done ranting. I have to go get my car so I can drive everyone to lunch. Yeh, they both showed up today. :D

That's why I go out for lunch every day!

Well Codi I've worked in all kinds of environments and seen every possible work place social activity there is. From weekly birthday clubs to lunch hour horse shoes to after work beach bbq's 3 nights a week. The worst is when there is no social interaction at all. Imagine a building that use to be filled with 200 busy people with only 20 in it. Now picture those 20 people all commute from different communities and though they all get along there is rarely a time during the day that someone has time to even think about putting together a party. Every couple of months maybe someone brings in a box of donuts but that's it. Imagine not having an assistant at all, the company mail bag gets delivered and you have to dig through it to find that report you were expecting. I'm just touching on the things that has happened to many offices under modern ways of doing more with less. I guess I'd gladly swap office conditions and social activities although I do recall times feeling being asked for a few dollars every other day was too much...

What Dennis describes is exactly the situation I am in now. My office used to have 150 people and now has 23 (and we are a 24/7/365 data center). Generally there are about 6-10 people here during the day and it is extremely boring. I rarely have anyone to go to lunch with and the pool table and foosball tables are virtually never used anymore. I'd gladly kick down the occasional fin to have an office party once in a while.

Do like I do, work from home! :D No one pesters me for extortions, I mean "donations", to recognize someone's birthday, baby, marriage, promotion, etc. I don't have as much interaction with people. I do have to have design reviews with customers at different stages of the job, so I do get out.

I used to work at an 100 man manufacturing plant on night shift. I was in engineering and about 20 guys worked on the floor. After clocking out on Friday's we used to sit in the plant parking lot and have some beers. :beers: We'd usually sneak off just as the sun was rising or the Saturday morning shift was rolling in for work. We suddenly realized that we were screwing up our Saturday, so we rescheduled to Thursday nights. :D

I hear ya Codi! I have worked for places that ask for handouts constantly and it would be o.k. except you feel obligated because most everyone else gives to the crap! Where I currently work, it's a cool system of: "anyone feel like going here"...or "anyone want to pitch in for a steak lunch bbq this Friday?" etc. very low pressure scenario. If it bothers you, simply say no thanks and pretty soon they'll get the picture. If you let it fester, nobody else knows how you feel, then one day you're gonna explode on some poor schmuck because they asked for a small donation.... ;)

Dano

I kind of think they are. One of the people I work with was trying to get money together for our boss's 25 wedding aniversary. I thought that was a little much. Well, like 2 days before the day they separated and later got divorced.

No one got me anything on my Camaro and mine's big day....

The only problem I see is that all the "office parties" are not office related. I am all for office parties just for the heck of it but, you shouldn't be asked for money to support baby showers, weddings, anniversary , or whatever.

I agree with Dennis I watched as our office was slowly picked to pieces and then we were forced to work from home. There are some things that can be good about socializing with your co-workers. It helps build morale.

Sounds like the kind of "parties/get togethers" you are having is a bit much and would get old in a hurry.

Right, of the situations listed above, I am in a ‘party more then not’ type situation now. It can drive me nuts. But if that is the worst thing about your job, it could be a whole lot worse. Grit the teeth and bare it. But know there are those of us who ‘feel your pain’.

I know some that draw the line. Birthdays and special events (showers, babies, etc.) are ok, but no cookies/candies/etc sales or donations. Being on a ‘perpetual diet’ can help deflect candy and cookie sales.

Got a Birthday party tomorrow at a local 'brew pub'. Last week it was a retirement party of some sort -I agree that it can get a bit old after a while. I just hate when others seem to hold it against you if for some reason you can't make it to that particular gathering!

I have to say, I wish I had you guys' problems!! Where I work we have no interaction other than work. No birthday parties, baby showers, nothing. Not even Christmas parties!! In fact we only get two days off for Christmas, one for July 4, and one for Thanksgiving!!
I can kinda see where you are coming from though, I don't want to hand over my hard earned money anymore than the next guy. Especially when they aren't handing it over to buy gifts for my car's birthday!!

My crew and I have monthly lunches with our "Kitty" fund...(we scrap out copper. alumnium, are you listening Joe :p?) no out of pocket for us...we also but Bday cakes for members as well. I went to a front office going away party for a person that I never interacted with, ordered a 7.00 item and a soda, 1.75, then at the end someone decided to divide the bill, my share was $25.00...never again, if I go next time, I'm ordering surf and turf...Mike:D

Yup, get hit up for various "donations" when I am in the office. Seems like there is always a crisis, a birthday or some previously unknown holiday or celebration honoring some kind of work task.
But...I don't think this is such a bad thing as we do spend a lot of time at work. Can help with morale and comradery.
Lucky for me I am out 50% of the time where I can get suppliers and sometimes even customers to buy me things like lunches, dinners and a few beers.
I speculate they too complain that there always is some visitor they have to treat........but this builds business relationships LOL

Went to that today at Appleby's but we got separate check's!

And I chipped in a couple a bucks to help buy one of the Lady's lunch.

And it use to be that the old AP Green Firebrick Company had what was called (10) Management Club meetings a year out on the property at the Clubhouse.

Grilled meat and all the trimmings AND plenty of free beer!! BUT that got to be NOT P/C b/c of the liability thing so was dropped..

Then it was the Annual X-Mass Party for all the families to come and go through the Holiday Open House! Times got bad and it was canned too.

Finally the Firebrick Plant is NO MORE!!

pdq67

FWIW, today is "Administrative Professionals Day", but whether at work or home, sometimes enough is enough!!!!

It is not that our office doesn't "interact". We are an office of eight and are on a floor of 2400 sq. feet. I can spit and hit every office door from mine. It is the constant appearance of one of the ladies for a handout every week. Notice, none of the guys (3) are at my door. "What is the money plea for today" I ask? "Sandy found that wool tartan knee length skirt she has been looking for so we are going to take her to lunch". I also heard the others on the downsizing. Less than one year ago, my entire division was eliminated (40 people). My unit doubled in size and moved into our own office closer to the courts and main office. The others were scattered between other divisions and the SEA. It is not that I am against office gatherings, I am just tired of them being a weekly event.

the way our office does it is pretty cool, we have a secret pal deal, like a secret santa, but all year round. If you don't want to participate, you don't, so only those that do want in, have to lay out any $$. You get a pal, and then you're responsible for their birthday cake, and christmas party gift, etc and since someone drew your name, someone else is getting your gifts. If you don't participate, it's cool, you just then don't expect to get anything on those occasions. Beats havin to kick in everytime a birthday or something comes around, especially when $$ is tight, like always! :)

I almost feel guilty tellng you guys this. I am the materials manager for one of the "Universities" in Boston. There are about 80 management people in my building. When a birthday comes along, they buy a cake out of petty cash. No one is asked for donations....if you want to stop by for a piece of cake you do, if not you don't. End of story. If someone dies, flowers are sent out of petty cash. I can't remember ever being asked for a donation for anything. They have a catered xmas party in the office from 1-5PM at no cost to employees with beer, wine and mixed drinks. I've been here 21 years...get 6 wks. vacation a year, plus they give everyone the week off between xmas and new years which doesn't get charged to your vacation time. I have 6 months of "sick" time on the books with 13 paid holidays also. I have no control over how they spend their money, but you gotta think if they were to cut back a little on this stuff (and the bennies), maybe it wouldn't cost 42k a year to go to school here. But I can't complain at all...it's a great place to work. :D

Since I am in the mode to bi%^&, there is one person in this office that feels it is his god given right to inspect your lunch. Most of us eat at our desks and as soon as he hears a bag crinkle or a chip bag torn open, he waltzes in, hovers over your lunch, asks what "this is or that is" and then offers comentary. He is a vegitarian and feels he must inform all as to the deadly affects of any form of meat and god help you if you have pork, the "dirty meat". This has gone on for over a year now. Today, I went out to get a sandwich for lunch. I usually "bag" it. He saw me leave, and asked where I was going. When I returned, you would swear a light or alarm went off in his office and there he was, hovering over my desk. He just had to comment on my roast beef sandwich and cheese/broccili soup. When he asked what I put on my sandwich, I told him mayo, and he started into this rant about raw eggs and oil will kill me. That was it, I showed him the door, closed it behind him, and LOCKED it. I need to retire. :angry:

Regarding office parties. First, unload the Glock. Second, carry your cash in your pocket, keep only a buck in your wallet. When they want something, say sure but this is all I've got. Getting out of it for a buck isn't so bad.

Regarding the veggie-geek. First, load your Glock... :D


Rick.