Are staff holiday parties really that bad?

‘Tis the season for work holiday parties that you have absolutely no interest in attending.

That seems to be the consensus nowadays: once it’s quitting time, you have no interest in being around your co-workers.

Back when I worked office and retail jobs, I enjoyed a staff Christmas party. After all, I’m a sucker for free food and drinks. It’s also when you could get together as a group and the focus was getting together as a group.

There wasn’t the distraction of phones capturing every moment and posting on social media in real time. There wasn’t the fear that you might say something inappropriate and hear about it from HR the next day. There wasn’t the stress of feeling overworked with the inability to leave work at work.

It’s a far cry from when my parents were working. I remember each year my mom talked about my dad’s “company do” as if it were the social event of the year. Indeed, she dressed like she was going to the Oscars. (I can still hear the click-click-click of her high-heels on the kitchen floor as she raced around while getting ready.)

I’ve been invited to holiday parties for the clients with whom my media company has relationships. And I love it. It’s delicious to hear people groaning that they must spend four — count ’em, four — more hours that week with their colleagues.

Several years ago, I was producing a corporate podcast and I went to the client’s party. It was fascinating to hear how employees had no interest in being at a fancy hotel with free food, dancing, awards and photo booth. (There was a poutine bar later in the night.)

I wasn’t working 9 to 5 with them. I popped in randomly and only knew some people by name (if that) so it was incredible how many of them didn’t hold back when expressing their feelings to a total stranger.

“I can’t stand office hours with these people, you think I want to spend Friday night with them?” one woman said to me. She had her sights set on the exit immediately following the buffet dinner but her manager convinced her to stay through the speeches and awards ceremony that filled nearly two hours. (Speaking of the Oscars, right?)

In fact, she told me that she worked in the department that planned the event and was “forced” to RSVP because “it would look bad if we didn’t show up.”

The biggest gripe? The bar was closed during the speeches and awards. The planners thought it disrespectful for lineups and a near-empty room during the “important” parts of the night.

While the event was slated to run until midnight, the ballroom was largely cleared out by 10:30 p.m. Yes, as soon as the forced-attendance portion of the night was gone, so were the guests.

It’s a catch-22 of sorts. Employees complain they feel unappreciated and when the employer celebrates its team in a social setting, the employees have no interest. “Take that money and give it to us as a bonus,” one person said to me.

If there’s dinner, drinks, dancing and drama, I’m there for it. That’s my kinda party.