by Ruaidhri Horan, Marketing Manager, Abrivia Recruitment
I overheard a conversation recently where people were taking great pride in not attending their office Christmas party, as it is was some sort of badge of honour. Some people take great umbrage at the fact that the annual Christmas party, although an annual perk, is considered compulsory to attend. Anecdotally, I believe this non-attendance rebellious fad is becoming more and more popular in Ireland today.
Why you should attend your Christmas party?
A Christmas party is the ideal opportunity to get to know people from other parts of your organisation. It is also a team event and as a team player most bosses would prefer if you attended. In addition, it can be an opportunity to network and be noticed (for the right reason) by senior executives in your organisation, who you may not have spoken with previously. Most bosses will consider the Christmas party not as a great expense to the organisation, but as a morale building exercise and as a thank you for all your hard work the team did during the year. Hence, non-attendance, without a valid excuse may hold you in a bad light and may be misinterpreted as having a grudge against the organisation.
Even if you despise corporate social events, a Christmas party is only for a few hours, so I would strongly recommend you show your face and avail of the free food and wine and you never know, you may even enjoy the festivities.
