Truths: Cheers to Company (Christmas) Holiday Parties

Through-out time, company “Christmas” parties or as they are affectionately called now so not to piss everyone else off, “Holiday” parties have proven to be both an intricate testament to a company’s benefit program as well as an event to rip off the tie and sing from table tops – both literally and figuratively!

With the recession as it is – many companies have cut back on parties. Instead of lavish settings in posh resorts, the party might be in the company office or break room. Instead of carving stations adorned with turkey and prime rib, there might be sandwiches and chips. And no band or DJ, just some Ipod music playing in the background.

Even before the recession took the “fun” out of annual Holiday parties, the issue of free alcohol at the events was scorned. It became nearly illegal to offer an open bar to employees. Thanks, in part, to our overly litigious legal system who argues: fully mature adults have no control over their bodies and don’t know how to say no when there is an open bar so the responsibility is placed on the company who offered a fancy party and dancing.

Which certainly would make a company question why they hired such stupid, immature people to work for them..

Anyway, for me, my husband’s company has kept all of the fun in the party. From the lavish ballroom to the posh resort and most importantly: the open bar.

Ahhhh, the open bar. It was like a savior to me this Saturday… and a demon to me on Sunday!

Lets start from the beginning… A few weeks back, I found my dress in an unlikely place. I was having a pair of jeans fixed… They needed a zipper… They needed a zipper because I bought them at TJ Maxx for $7. They fit great – but had no zipper. Now, some people would say I should not have bought them.. But did I say they fit great and were $7…

So, I took them to a bridal shop to have them fixed (I can’t even sew a button on) and while I was waiting, I found the most beautiful, funky dress. I tried it on and I loved it. I am not saying it was the most flattering – but I loved it so much I didn’t give a damn.

So, the dress was bought (the pants fixed) and I became excited about the party.

We went up Saturday afternoon to Lake Geneva and checked into our room. So, while the company is more than pleased to offer open bar to us they are also adamant about requiring the resort to make rooms available to us at 1/3 the cost. The company cares.

We checked in, dumped our stuff in the beautiful room with the lake view and opened the first of many beers for the night. We strolled around the resort running into friends and began out trip down not just the corridors but our trip down the drunk highway.

We dressed in our fancy clothes and met friends at the bar (why of course) had another drink and walked down to the ballroom where we were greeted with gift bags and table numbers. The room was set magnificently. Glorious centerpieces set on risers that looked like clear tubes filled with orange jello shots. (Damn, I never did get to try one!). Christmas trees lit up throughout the room. There was no cutbacks here.

And so the night began… and I drank… and I drank… and talked and laughed… and drank. And the music started and me and 10 other friends DANCED. DANCED. DANCED. (Did I mention I fell once… My friend, Edna, said it was because the dance floor was uneven… Yep, that is why she is my friend!)

As I was dancing like a freed dog from a small crate, I know others were talking trash to their supervisors… asking for that raise they never got or proposing some off the wall idea they never had the guts to talk about at work… at least not until they drank some liquid courage this evening.

My husband, a Management Team member, was moving his butt to the beat right next to the CFO… The Safety Director was hopping around the floor on one leg and the HR Manager was flirting with the head of Marketing… (some of this is embellished to make a point).

People who come to work each day, their nose to the ground, barely smiling are now at midnight acting as thought they entered a college frat party and are “getting down.”

They are having a blast. (This includes me).

Sure there will be some “stories” to talk about Monday at the coffee maker, but for a few hours a group of people who may never even talk 364 days of the year – are enjoying who they work with and are letting the walls and their hair (and even some of their skirts) down.

That has to be a lot more effective then some cliché “team training” session to encourage trust and productivity.

Maybe there aren’t any hangovers after team training…But, there certainly aren’t any good stories either that the group holds near their heart to protect each other from getting fired!

I am sure I have some good stories from Saturday..but for some reason I can’t seem to remember any of them… Must have flushed them down the toilet when I…… yesterday!