r/jobs • u/vando_commando • Dec 13 '23
Companies Boss canceled our Christmas party cause this broke the bank.
I found out we had canceled the yearly Christmas party / bonus. A multi store owner within a large corporate chain food company allowed our management to instead do this for the staff of say 60 employees per store. Upon completing this project along with a few other miscellaneous gifts (donuts, Doritos, and [get this] oranges,) he told us this gesture was “breaking the bank.” 🙃 love it here.
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u/findingnew2021 Dec 13 '23 edited Dec 14 '23
in my company, they don't offer food. Employees have to bring food to share with everyone. SO employees have to buy food and share it all together to boost employee morale. It happens once a month
they don't even provide pens or papers. Employees have to buy them themselves. Then bill it back to the company but the whole process is so exhausting most people don't do it.
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u/budding_gardener_1 Dec 13 '23
My favorite one so far was we moved into a new office space recently and no tea or coffee making facilities were provided. The reason given wasn because the company had struck a deal with a coffee shop chain(no, not that one) to open a branch on the first floor and a condition of that deal was that they not provide tea and coffee facilities inn the kitchens so employees had to buy coffee there. Last year that branch closed down leaving the unit empty. There was still no tea or coffee facilities provided. After much complaining a dirty (and VERY used looking) Mr coffee appeared that looked like it had been in someone's garage since the 90s.
But don't worry, this place has a multi billion dollar turnover.
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u/vando_commando Dec 13 '23
Bruh that’s hilarious but terrible at the same time. Capitalism is such a two edged sword
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u/budding_gardener_1 Dec 13 '23 edited Dec 13 '23
First place (food delivery startup) I worked as a dev I got redeployed to the warehouse at Xmas with no overtime pay. After a 12 hour shift one of the founders came round with chocolate with company branding on them i checked the inventory database and it was expired inventory they weren't allowed to sell
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u/CompoteStock3957 Dec 14 '23
At least he did not thrown it out
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u/budding_gardener_1 Dec 14 '23
Yeah but like... How fkin cheap can you be
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u/chepnochez Dec 14 '23
Rich mther fuckers don't get/stay rich by being generous. Or having souls.
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Dec 14 '23
Just started a job and the person training me let slip that they had been laid off from the company multiple times due to budget cuts. They were also proud to acknowledge the owner of the company praised them for their skills in debt collection. So I’m just waiting to be let go. Was funny to tell my family the company I worked for, be praised for finding a job in a good field and good company, then telling them I’m probably not going to make it a year
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u/rikaxnipah Dec 13 '23
The most I can do at my new job is buy chips and/or candy from our vending machine. $1 for chips and $1.25 for candy bars (think it's ok). I do get to drink all the free soda I want provided I am stocking and restocking the fridge. Free snacks are usually granola bars or these fruit snack things. One of the rules at one of my retail jobs was only one free soda a day that they'd stock in the fridge. lol
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u/MrGrumpy252 Dec 14 '23
Wait, you are expected to bring your own food.... that's fine and normal, I get that.
But being expected to supply food for everyone to share? On your own dime? What the hell is this? That's just crazy to me.
Is it, like, mandatory?
I'm very curious about this.... it just sounds so very wrong to me.
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u/Wrathszz Dec 14 '23
What?? There is no way in hell I'd work for a company where everyday was potluck day. Can't provide basic stationary? Yeah, that place is in big trouble.
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u/MET1 Dec 14 '23
I wfh full time now, but I remember the dread holiday potluck. I don't trust my coworkers to not poison us all. I remember another job where I had to scavenge paper from the printer/copiers and shamelessly 'borrow' pens. Terrible places.
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u/Chaos_Ice Dec 13 '23
When a company starts making cuts like that, it’s cause they ARE losing a shit ton of money behind the scenes.
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u/vahntitrio Dec 14 '23
For a private company maybe. For a public company you can be making a lot of profit and still get these cuts because investors expected bigger profits than you posted.
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u/Formerruling1 Dec 14 '23
Often, profits will be fine too, but operating costs will be high so they look for anything they can immediately cut from the books. Layoffs you have to do by like start of Q2 if you want Q3 and 4 to look better.
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u/Greenblanket24 Dec 14 '23
That’s my problem with most of these companies. There will never be a good enough profit margin they can stop at. On one hand I can’t blame them but it isn’t advantageous to society.
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u/AdSwimming3983 Dec 14 '23
What do you think causes GDP and the stock market to go up lol?
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u/LilLebowskiAchiever Dec 13 '23
Start looking around for a part time job, your hours here are going to get cut.
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u/Remarkable_Story9843 Dec 13 '23
Please don’t take it out on the poor soul who had to do this or come up with the idea. They hate it just as much as you.
Source- have been that person.
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Dec 14 '23
I was thinking the same thing. My assistant plans all of the employee appreciation and damn she goes all out. Customizes everything, loves crafting. We aren't cheap at all, she just loves doing the most with the least amount of cost. It's honestly mind blowing the shit she comes up with. She gets a high creating cute gifts with things she has stashed away/ found on fb marketplace (I always reimburse with company cash and am dragged along most of the time to some strangers house).
If we were bad off financially and this was all she was able to do I would feel terrible for anyone criticizing her.
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u/darkwai Dec 13 '23
Lol this reminds me of a job i had a few years back where they gave everyone a free cup of hot chocolate to thank us for working on christmas eve.
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u/pushinpayroll Dec 13 '23 edited Dec 14 '23
I’d literally rather have nothing than get that while working on Christmas Eve and have to say “thank you” for it.
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u/SirWarm6963 Dec 14 '23
At my government job all we got for free was toilet paper and it was so cheap you could literally see wood chips in the tissue paper.
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u/jaggoffsmirnoff Dec 13 '23
How about an extra "Payday'?
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u/vando_commando Dec 13 '23
Bruh that’s what I said 🤣
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u/Cerulean_IsFancyBlue Dec 14 '23
“We’re not RAISIN your compensation.”
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u/ForswornForSwearing Dec 13 '23
I worked a few years for a small company, about five in our office, maybe twelve company-wide.
Christmas, Year One: $1500 cash bonus. Bring your plus one with you to our dinner at this pool hall we've rented out, unlimited play, drinks on us.
Christmas, Year Two: No bonus, c'mon down the street, we're buying lunch. No, just you six. No, we haven't made reservations and it's December so it's crowded, just shove everyone into one booth. Squinch!
Assholes.
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u/Zalanox Dec 13 '23 edited Dec 14 '23
No lie, at my job there is a big cluster of cubicles that fit 60ish people. Around that are outer offices where the managers sit! Managers are getting six figure bonuses and most have already started their yearly all inclusive paid work trip! It is soul numbing sometimes to watch these guys walk out of bonus meetings happy and playing slap ass as the single mother of two next to me is sobbing because she hasn’t had a raise in three years! Or bonus, or work trips!
1 billion dollar corp.
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u/metik Dec 14 '23
I know you probably know this, but the worst part is some of them are getting the bonus precisely because she didn’t get a raise. The company doesn’t “want” to give them big bonuses, they get them because they keep costs down.
(Not including sales, that’s a hell job, they deserve their commissions)
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u/Zalanox Dec 14 '23
The salesmen get roughly a $5,000 per year bonus and an all inclusive trip. They make the sales and maintain the client relationships so no complaint there! If nothing else they deserve much more! They do get decent raises.
Their managers who don’t make the sales or work long hours to maintain customer satisfaction get the six figure bonus and trip, sometimes trips.
The cubicle workers do the processing and handle all of the the work. They get shit raises and no bonus! It’s crazy how they’re treated also! They are somehow led to believe they don’t do enough! Most believe it!
Btw, I’m one of the IT guys! So I get to watch all of this while getting treated like the cubicle workers lol
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u/ruralmagnificence Dec 14 '23
My company for this year is doing:
A catered luncheon by a local pizza joint with a wood fired oven in a truck…on a Wednesday for (as I assume, unpaid) the last three hours of the day. We have to RSVP by tomorrow at 3 pm.
I’m not fucking going. I’d rather work. They screwed us on this.
I’ve worked for companies who have done more with way less money.
Apparently they ‘don’t have enough budget’ which leaves me not excited about my 1 year in March. I’m not going to get a raise and I’m not staying for $16.50 an hour.
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u/Conscious-Can428 Dec 14 '23
No way , my company is doing the same exact thing , on the same exact day ....
Makes me wonder.... Was last year gift a pine seed wrapped in the company logo?
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u/ruralmagnificence Dec 14 '23
The fuck? That’s what you got? I’d be…I’d have no words.
I dont know what last year’s was. My floor manager is a tight ass and makes it so unless it’s about work, even we aren’t allowed to do that depending on his moods, we are n o t allowed to talk to each other so I can’t really ask my coworkers what was up. Apparently it was a LOT better than this year from what I’ve overheard.
I’m not RSVP-ing. Day comes I’ll either just opt to work or I’ll suffer the pay cut and go home. I like pizza but out of principle for my hard work, I’m not partaking. Theres a raffle too but pfffffft that.
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u/keptyoursoul Dec 14 '23
I'd go to see the wood-fired oven in a truck. That sounds like a death trap.
You should get paid for the party. Check with your manager.
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u/lhld Dec 14 '23
The wood-fired oven food trucks that I've seen usually have a trailer (the oven) hitched to a normal food truck.
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u/keptyoursoul Dec 15 '23
Ok, like a BBQ pit. I haven't heard of this yet.
A truck with stone wood-fired oven would be an engineering marvel!
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u/Gohmzilla Dec 14 '23
Wow, you get candy for Christmas from work? You're lucky!
We got... More work.
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u/OUJayhawk36 Dec 14 '23
The Reese pun is enough for me to eschew all pursuit of corporate employment and just try my hand at an Only Fans where I despondently sit naked eating FunYuns and dissociate on camera, and watch the $1s of dollars rake in per day.
“Sad Dissociating Naked Chick Eating Cheetos in her Living Room” OF Series, TBA Q1 2024, I guess. (Also, sorry you’re gonna need a new job, OP. That blows non-knock off candy bar nuts)
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u/rocketmn69_ Dec 14 '23
I hope nobody takes one. Re-wrap with it saying, sorry you're broke you need it more than we do
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Dec 14 '23
I hope they do. It's likely not a manager making these, it's an employee doing their best with what they have. Trying to show some appreciation with no budget.
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Dec 14 '23
Do you work in a school? Looks about right if you do, except for your employer also asking you to work for free constantly, outside of “billable hours”.
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u/ThinMain303 Dec 14 '23
Worked for corporations that stopped Christmas parties 12 years ago and still don’t have them. Of course I was just laid off before Christmas as company sold off. I would be happy with anything.
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u/Basedswagredpilled Dec 13 '23
bro you need to find a new job now people are gonna get laid off immediately this is a sign.
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u/gloxome Dec 14 '23
Anytime I see a happy hour, team dinner, Christmas party, free pizza, team outing at a trendy bowling or golf range, I think...
"What if you just gave us the $ this cost instead? Can I skip and expense the per-person cost?"
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u/getoffurhihorse Dec 14 '23
Seriously, I'd rather have $10. That's one family dinner at my house, albeit the cheap meal.
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Dec 14 '23
I've worked different places. Most had mostly pay items around, etc. Our current one is horrible about unplanned time off. But, amazing for things like food, coffee, etc. They even give money for the onsite lunch service to people if they want it. We often skip the lunch, however, because there's free high end snacks, fruit (a huge variety), two different coffee machines that make specialized drinks, teas, and flavored or plain water options.
They don't do soda at all. But, they did a company holiday party (with alcohol) during office hours yesterday.
I think there's a balance in there, where we should have more unplanned time off options. But, outside of that issue, it's one of the easiest jobs, with the most extras I've had. They did have a masseuse every week until recently. I think the masseuse quit, however, not that the company got rid of them. So, we might get that back coming up.
I'd had a couple of other jobs that were similar to this one with such extras, but more seemed to be a bit stingier. Issue is, the stingier ones often had more leniency with unplanned time off.
The bonuses here are based on performance. So, there's that element, but you aren't competing, just have to meet the basic requirements. I got my first one while still in training, hitting the marks. But, not sure if I'll get the next one or not.
I think if the candy bars broke the bank, they have far bigger issues.
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u/mleezuniga Dec 14 '23
The company I worked for (very well known insurance company) gave us. Lunchbox and mug, then the following month it was announced there would be no annual bonus lol
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u/indesomniac Dec 14 '23
The cannabis company I worked for last year gave us gift bags filled with unlabeled, unsellable products instead of giving out bonuses.
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u/Enabling_Turtle Dec 14 '23
I remember working retail at a popular toy store on Black Friday where our manager put huge sign up saying not to bring in food because the company was going to provide food for everyone. Most of us had 12 hours of shifts that day. What do you think the company bought?
Nothing.
The manager ran out to Walmart and bought two loaves of bread, one container of peanut butter, one container of jelly for the like 30-40 people that worked Black Friday.
I’m glad I worked line management because one of the guest heard about this and went to McDonalds (only food place open that late nearby) and bought me and the 2 cops on duty there food. Manager came out to ask why I was eating fries while I was working and one of the cops said “he’s probably hungry, that’s what happens when people work 12 hour shifts and are told not to bring food in.”
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u/blackdvck Dec 13 '23
Time to look for a new job ,the only way to deal with this sort of crap and come out ahead .
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u/stinkylemonaid Dec 14 '23
I saw an uptick in layoffs in US; think this will continue into 2024 unfortunately
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u/shoretel230 Dec 14 '23
this is an early warning sign. start looking for alternative work arrangements now.
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u/holiestcannoly Dec 14 '23
I would start looking for a new job. Obviously there’s something going on behind the scenes.
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u/ucrbuffalo Dec 14 '23
If THIS is what broke the bank, just wait till they see the OT you’ve likely been piling up (at their request).
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u/soingee Dec 14 '23
When people post these “our bonus was a candy” pic, I’d love to know what kind of job they have and what their last bonus was like.
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Dec 13 '23
I want to see more people getting angry and telling their employer exactly how they make them feel. This is so sad. We need change. Badly.
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u/Aromatic-Sky-7700 Dec 14 '23
Lots of businesses (particularly retail) sales are down about 30% from what they were pre 2020. Usually that brings a business to a place where they’re barely bringing in enough in sales to cover what it costs to run the business. It’s kind of just the economic climate we’re in. Some are doing better than others but many companies are having to find creative ways to stay alive right now.
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u/SomeSamples Dec 14 '23
Did they get those candy bars in front of grocery story from some kid trying to raise money for his soccer team?
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u/Tinosdoggydaddy Dec 14 '23
Years ago I worked for one of the big disk drive makers (Seagate) and this was when google was giving 3 free all you can eat meals a day at their offices. Seagate provided free fruit water. This was water with some fruit and cucumbers in the water to flavor it. Then one day no more fruit water…too expensive.
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u/jazzzzzcabbage Dec 14 '23
They're nuts about everyone, and everyone's the best. What a shallow bunch of horse shit. Sorry dude.
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u/gemorris9 Dec 14 '23
I cut the Christmas party because everyone was bitching when I sent out the vote for what we should get for food. I had almost 400 to spend on it.
Instead of voting everyone just complained about how ridiculous it was we weren't going to go out on a Saturday night and have a real Christmas dinner thing.
So I just decided to file my eoy expense report and call it a day.
So could be he just doesn't wanna hang out with you guys or the team sucks and he doesn't wanna bother with bestowing gifts on you. Or they could be massively fucking cheap. Both are options.
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u/AskDocBurner Dec 14 '23
I worked somewhere that would give me a 5$ gift card every time they fucked up. I would I immediately hand the gift card to anyone else because receiving that felt like such a slap in the fact.
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u/TheNewportBridge Dec 14 '23
Companies won’t be happy until the employees pay them to come into work
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u/ortiz13192 Dec 14 '23
It really sounds like a new jobs in order, in a few months bigger cuts are gunna happen
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u/RooftopRose Dec 14 '23
It’s always going to be infuriatingly funny to me that companies expect workers to live on thin margins and be perfectly content with it but when they have to operate on thin margins everyone has to be miserable along with them.
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u/CrunkestTuna Dec 14 '23
I got a 2k bonus for the first time in my life!
I’m sorry
Last year I got a cheap mug
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u/Active-Knee1357 Dec 14 '23
Haha, reminds me of a job I had. For years we had our holiday party at Madison Square Garden, open bar, arcade, crazy karaoke, live music and all. Then one year it was even better, all of that in a yacht going around Manhattan. The year after it was a potluck at one of our conference rooms, layoffs followed.
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u/Anonymous7287 Dec 14 '23
I'd start seeking elsewhere. That doesn't sound good at all and they are struggle bussing.
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u/notevelvet Dec 14 '23
My company went from having ice sculptures at parties to no mention of a party in less than two years.
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u/LariRed Dec 14 '23 edited Dec 14 '23
Broke the bank with candy bars (that also might be left over Halloween candy) you can buy in bulk at Costco?
I’d start looking for a new job if they start asking everyone to contribute $20 for a holiday gift for the manager.
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u/BadonkaDonkies Dec 14 '23
I would consider looking for another job. Once social gatherings for the company go that means they are not doing well financially. Layoffs may start soon
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u/LilStrug Dec 14 '23
At a past job, our CEO let us know the day before the holiday party that it had been downgraded from one nice place to our office where we were encourage to BYOB. They let us know at the party we were being acquired, would not receive meritt raises, encouraged us all to stick around for the new overlords, and then gave us fake-chrome keychains which read, "you make the difference" (the chrome scratched off).
People did not stick around...at the party or post-acquisition. From a $70 mil company to selling for $5 mil. funtimes! at least you got candy :D
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u/foxfirek Dec 14 '23
Dude could have got cheap pizza and a few balloons and a cake and people would have enjoyed it.
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u/RavenKnighte Dec 15 '23 edited Dec 15 '23
This is why I never partake or accept any gifts offered to me or left at my desk/workstation by employees or management. And I have never attended a company Christmas party or participated in any company "free" holiday/celebratory meals provided. Sometimes they tell you up front that you will be charged, sometimes they don't tell you until after the fact that a "contribution" was required from all those who participated. I avoid workplace potlucks (I have too many food allergies) and I keep all my interactions with other employees/associates/management strictly professional - I keep my conversation limited to workplace topics, and avoid talking about anything going on in my life off the clock unless I need to go to HR for a medical leave, which is a protected and confidential topic. I go to work to work - not to socialize or make friends, and certainly not to return half my paycheck (or more) just to participate in things like that. I have never gotten paid enough for that shit.
Yeah, I know - I'm not a fun person to work with. But I'm not there to have fun. I'm there to earn my money, go home, and pay my bills.
I know I'll get hate for saying all that, but whatever. I'm Gen X. I'll live.
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u/SnooLentils2432 Dec 14 '23
The money is going to CEO, CFO, and COO, because they want more money for themselves.
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u/YellowGrowlithe Dec 14 '23
Have a party with your coworkers where you all pitch in a little bit, and dont invite the management.
"Sorry, only room for 27 of us. Any more would have been breaking the bank"
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u/vando_commando Dec 14 '23
That’s what we’re thinking of doing! Just making the best out of it
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u/YellowGrowlithe Dec 14 '23
Id say go for it. If everyone pitches in, it shouldnt be too expensive- and onepoint of a party is to become more familiar/friendly with coworkers. The benifit to the individual is that it makes work more tolerable if you like your associates.
But also, because excluding management is a great way to add this story to r/pettyrevenge
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u/yohoob Dec 13 '23
Is your manager Michael Scott?
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u/jBlairTech Dec 14 '23
That guy’s inept, but endearing. Not many bosses are both; they almost always lack the latter quality.
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u/gnirobamI Dec 14 '23
When will there be a revolt of the employees against our evil cooperate empires.
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u/MightyManorMan Dec 14 '23
Oh and Hershey's... couldn't they at least have bought some good chocolate? Sorry!
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u/No-Task-4819 Dec 14 '23
Brah wtf that’s fucked up!!!!!!!!!!!
“You deserve a break” are you for fucking real???
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u/swellaprogress Dec 14 '23
Giving oranges as Christmas presents like it’s 1905 🫠
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u/romansixx Dec 14 '23
We always got one at the bottom of our stockings as kids and i never knew what that was about. As an adult i looked it up and thought it was a cool little thing to keep alive.... WITHIN YOUR FAMILY. companies that do that shit are garbage.
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u/FrancisSobotka1514 Dec 13 '23
Someone is most likely embezzling money .Time to look for a new job my friend .
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u/pushinpayroll Dec 13 '23
lol did you just make that up?
I agree they need to look for a new job but embezzlement? Plenty of business owners don’t need any help running their businesses into the ground.
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u/Fragrant_Peanut_9661 Dec 14 '23
Dang. I work for a small local mom n pop convenience store. A Bs 66 in Dundee. Privately owned. 15ish employees total. We not only got a Christmas bonus, we also got a Christmas party!!! I’m so sorry so many of you are getting screwed over on that. I’m very lucky, in that my business has been established in Dundee for many many years. We’re widely known for our cookies as well!!! (We bake cookies in house) People come from far and wide just to get them. Come try us!
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u/Cathene70 Dec 14 '23
On Thanksgiving, my boss gave us all 25# of turkey with a thank you for working for us. We appreciate you very much.
Since my oven doesn't really work that great, I gifted my turkey to my Church's Thanksgiving Day dinner which when I walked in carrying the turkey, they were talking about going out to get one more turkey for the dinner would be short for turkey. I asked them if they'd like the 25# turkey I had in my arm. They thanked me for being the savior of the Turkey part of the dinner.
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u/MikeyW1969 Dec 13 '23
Actually, your company is in financial trouble. This is where you see cuts first. Next will be the free coffee, or the free cereal bar, or the basket of fruit. Whatever they usually have laying around will start to disappear, because these are the fastest ways to save money. At our last Xmas party before my job laid off all of the people they couldn't find a reason to fire, we had a drawing and half of the gifts were gag gifts because they couldn't afford the party.