Company "holiday" Parties

We can't call them Christmas parties anymore or the pc do-gooder police will tell you that we must embrace all traditions and religions - as long as THEY approve of them.  The irony is not lost on me.  Whatever.  Ho Ho HO!! 

There is a tradition lingering from the 50's that needs to be abolished immediately, and that is the company Christmas (ooops holiday) party - during nights and weekends, no doubt.  I never understood why management would sponsor such a torturous event.  Even the lure of a raffle giving away electronic gadgets isn't enough to endure your annoying co-workers on what is supposed to be your time away from the morons. 

Ahhhhhhhh... compulsory parties, coupled with unpaid overtime.  The joy.  We are expected to give up a Saturday night during the busiest, most stressful time of the year to endure the company of people we loathe and act like we are having a good time.  We are expected to pay for a sitter from our already paltry salaries and to pay for a hotel room to 'sleep off' anything we may have over imbibed on.  Sorry, but the company group rate for the hotel room is still not a steep enough discount to lure us to stay longer than necessary.  However, the over imbibing is necessary to keep us all from wanting to kill our coworkers we already spend too much time with. The irony is that The Company thinks they are doing us this huge favor by sponsoring all of this. 

It's a human resource manager's worst nightmare.  Come Monday morning we will hear about how John approached Jane on the dance floor after a few too many and whispered, "There is always something I wanted to tell you........"

After 30 years experience, I can attest that nothing good ever comes from a dialogue that begins with those words.  Now we are on damage control.  He said, she said.

I've said it once and I'll say it again.....the BEST morale booster on the planet for your employees is unexpected *PAID* time off away from work people and duties.  In the long run it's more cost effective and does not spawn lawsuits.