stop asking about Christmas parties and start asking about Christmas bonuses
this post was submitted on 25 Dec 2025
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Jokes aside, there's a statistical increase in terminations and quitting after such Christmas parties. Because alcohol and bad decisions are a bad combo when your paycheck is on the line.
Companies are worried about DUIs, and especially bad accidents that would expose them to lawsuits.
I worked for a company that opened a new office location. They had ONE Christmas party. After multiple DUIs leaving, drugs and condoms scattered all over the bathrooms, and more than one marriage ruined as a result of said managerial staff using said protection with people not their spouses….we just got an extra bonus on the paycheck in subsequent years.
I'd rather get some extra dough, than have to spend 4 more hours with the office at the holidays.
Last year my fortune 500 company said they wouldn't be providing Christmas dinner because they couldn't afford it.
They lost more money from demoralized employees slacking off in response.
They didn't make the same mistake this year.
Some of the best corporate holiday parties I've been to were at small startups i worked at. Great end of year bonuses as well. Office kitchens filled with free snacks \ drinks and paid lunches on Fridays.
Eventually, they all hire accountants, business analysts, or financial officers. And it's the same every time - they all start "cost cutting"... First the free food and lunches stop. Then the end of year parties. Then they complain about it being "a lean year" so they have to cut bonuses (about the same time they switch to "unlimited PTO" but guilt you into not taking any nor do they have to pay you out when you quit).
The best is around August or so, they post the financials and thank everyone for helping the company "smash" goals \ previous records, but then have some soulless mid level manager tell everyone at the end of the year they didn't "meet expectations" so they don't qualify for a raise.
God, I'm still bitter.....
Yeah, startups pre-sale or IPO are the best. Got catered buffet lunch every day. Full size candy bars in the break room. A beer fridge and whiskey club on Fridays.
Then we got bought and all of that was gone and we had to pay for our own lunch.
Spend the year making yourself indispensable (even if that involves writing code no one else can maintain, keeping your reports and files in an organization structure only you understand, making sure clients value you over the company, whatever's appropriate for your position). Also, beef up your resume, get it out there, start 'passively' job searching. Then, when review time comes up, you quantify all of the lost perks, and demand that amount as a minimum raise. If they don't agree, you quit on the spot.
If you followed step 1 closely enough, they may want to prevent you from leaving (ideal) or try to hire you back, at which point you can start making salary demands.
Oh this was three jobs ago. And I’m definitely indispensable at my current startup
One place had full sized beer and wine fridges. It was hilarious when the tech support people were getting drunk before lunch.
It does seem like the best way to do level 1 tech support.
My company has one every year. Heck, it is even just our regional department, so each department has its own.
It was 80's themed this year. They had live music and even a Back to the Future mocked up Delorian outside of the venue. A couple of free drink tickets, free buffet style food all around, a bunch of 80's arcade machines, and a pretty awesome raffle.
The company is also employee owned and not beholden to stockholder parasites.
It's amazing what a company can do when your profits aren't maximized and sucked out.
Wall Street should be burned to the ground and billionaires crucified over its ashes.
Wow, y’all work with jerks.
I started working at a company in the mid 80s, and stayed there for 40 years. They did Christmas parties until the f early 2000s or so. Honestly, I was kind of glad they stopped. There were always idiots getting drunk and doing/saying really stupid stuff.
Hilariously still very common in small blue collar outfits. Construction workers and the like.
My employer had fheir last Christmas party the year I started working there in November. I wasn't comfortable going to a company party 3 weeks in still in training. Little did I know I would never have another chance.
I blame Ellis and his blatant use of coke and always sexually harassing the women.
Happy Cake Day!
Woah, I had forgotten. Thanks.
I’ve been in the professional workforce since 2003 and haven’t been to one of these. A company I worked for in 2004 had one but since I was new, I had to pull the oncall shift so couldn’t attend. Pretty sure they were going out of style by 2001. If any company I worked for hosted one now I would just think it’s odd and say I was out of town anyways. I like my direct coworkers but can’t imagine a scenario where I would want to attend a party with the managers and execs.
My boss took everyone to dinner this week. Granted, there are about two dozen people in the whole organization, but still, it was really generous of her.
My wife's boss (owner of the company) took all the employees and their spouses on a four day Caribbean cruise about a year ago. Was really nice. Granted, there are only like 10 people in her organization.
Wow. Where the heck does your wife work, wall street?
My wife’s company had one and it was fun. We did end up getting norovirus from it though. Didn’t think it would be the case because the symptoms were not at all as violent as previous times we’ve had it. But I agreed to provide a sample to the county public health lab and turned out that was what it was
Due to cost cutting, norovirus decided to only do the bare minimum.
Quiet quitter!
Wow, I'm watching the documentary about that for the first time this Christmas. Just terrible...
It's absolutely tragic 😥
Can you share the details so i can find it too? First time hearing about this
It's from the movie Die Hard
I wfh so the company doesn't think it's valuable to spend money in a party for people that don't even work in person, and I agree. The least time I have to dedicate in person the better
They cut the costs and the c levels now have private dinners
They can't fill a room with cocaine and child trafficking as easily anymore.
In Australia they use to be tax deductible by the company but the rules changed and now they suck.
They're still tax deductable in the US. Surprising it wouldn't be in aus really. It is just an expense like payroll. I guess they're trying to recover the fact that they can't get payroll taxes from the employees if they're fringe benefits so they really want to recoup it from the employer.
We skipped ours to drive to another state for a rock show 🤘
It wasnt so much the terrorists/thieves, it was more how everyone started greeting guests by yelling "Welcome to the party, pal!" to everyone as they arrived, and "Yippe-kai-yay, motherfucker!" as they left.
Also:
Schieß den Fenster.