Work party--Attendance mandatory?

[luvsJack]

I don't WANT my boss to know me on a more personal level. My personal life is my personal life and I pick and choose who is a part of that. I am not a career person... and I don't like it when work and personal lines become blurred. It makes me uncomfortable.

I am a stellar employee (if I do say so myself... LOL.) I bust my butt and I've been with my company for a loooong time. People trust me, people come to me for help. I'm the go-to person for new projects. I treat everyone I work with respectfully and everyone knows if there is a question to come to me first. But when the day is done, I'm done. I leave the building and then get on with my life.

That also doesn't mean that I don't have friends at work. But I think the whole "one big happy family" mentality in a workplace is off-putting. My family is my family.

I don't think they mean it as a way to replace your own family. And I don't mean that they get to know personal things about us. But, if they did not attend these events some employees would only know them as "the men in the main office". The president's office is not even around anyone else's so very cut off from the rest of the administration. At these events they have the ability to shake a few hands, put a face with a name, and make themselves more accessible.

The whole "family" thing is nice because it also means that it puts our families first. I don't have to be concerned with being off to be present at dd's activities or to go get her from school or whenever she needs me--there is never a problem. Also, whenever someone has a emergency in their family, a death, accident or other traumtic event the other staff memebers come together to help out their coworker and family.

I guess everyone has there preferences as to what type of company they like to work for, I like the way our President runs this college and it seems to work well for the majority of the people here.

The majority of the employees here are very loyal to the college because of the actions of our administration, so it seems to be working for us.

 

[luvmy3]

No, of course management shouldn't be required to go to an after hours work function.

 

[luvmy3]

I think that Managers should make at least a token appearance. There are reasons why they are paid more and interacting with staff is one of those IMO.

Hopefully, these events are few and far between though. Have to go often would be a pain.

Have you ever been a retail manager? I have and I assure you that I didn't get paid more to interact with the staff, especially outside of work.

 

[LuLuO]

Where is the Tag Fairy when you need her???

Awesome.

 

[dsny1mom]

I don't think they mean it as a way to replace your own family. And I don't mean that they get to know personal things about us. But, if they did not attend these events some employees would only know them as "the men in the main office". The president's office is not even around anyone else's so very cut off from the rest of the administration. At these events they have the ability to shake a few hands, put a face with a name, and make themselves more accessible.

The whole "family" thing is nice because it also means that it puts our families first. I don't have to be concerned with being off to be present at dd's activities or to go get her from school or whenever she needs me--there is never a problem. Also, whenever someone has a emergency in their family, a death, accident or other traumtic event the other staff memebers come together to help out their coworker and family.

I guess everyone has there preferences as to what type of company they like to work for, I like the way our President runs this college and it seems to work well for the majority of the people here.

The majority of the employees here are very loyal to the college because of the actions of our administration, so it seems to be working for us.

The workings of a collge campus are WAY different than that of a retail store. At your college the president is somewhat removed from the rest of the employees. Retail managers are with their staffs every single day. And we are very much intuned to each other and cover for each other when need be and we don't need a party with the management team present to function as a team. BTW my entire staff has been with us since our store opened 4 years ago. They joke all the time that I couldn't blast them out of their postions without dynomite because they love working at our store.

dsny1mom

 

[Ceila]

I think one thing that people tend to forget is that company social events are often a kind of "thank you" to the staff for the work they do for the company. As such, it is in good form for management staff to come as they are the ones thanking others for their service, even if it's just for a little while and not the entire event.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

Awesome.

Sweeeeet!!!!

 

[Planogirl]

Have you ever been a retail manager? I have and I assure you that I didn't get paid more to interact with the staff, especially outside of work.

Admittedly never in retail and that might be different. I am speaking from the perspective of corporate managers who are regularly required to find various ways to interact with staff. Or at least they are wherever I've worked.

 

[Planogirl]

Awesome.

Nice!

 

[luvsJack]

The workings of a collge campus are WAY different than that of a retail store. At your college the president is somewhat removed from the rest of the employees. Retail managers are with their staffs every single day. And we are very much intuned to each other and cover for each other when need be and we don't need a party with the management team present to function as a team. BTW my entire staff has been with us since our store opened 4 years ago. They joke all the time that I couldn't blast them out of their postions without dynomite because they love working at our store.

dsny1mom

Oh, I realize that it is different and said that in my first post. But, I believe that their reasoning in attending these functions can carry over to other types of companies.

I also think that the pp is correct in that many of these functions are a kind of "thank you" for a job well done, and in as such it should be required for management to attend.

 

[dsny1mom]

Oh, I realize that it is different and said that in my first post. But, I believe that their reasoning in attending these functions can carry over to other types of companies.

I also think that the pp is correct in that many of these functions are a kind of "thank you" for a job well done, and in as such it should be required for management to attend.

If a social function is a thank you for the staff and management is required to be there as part of their job then they should be compensated for their attendance. Not all managers are paid salary. My assistant manager is paid by the hour, as many are. If she was required to attend then she would have to be paid for her attendance. I am salaried and would expect to work as many hours less in my store for my time attending a mandated social function.

The company I work for is HUGE on not permitting anyone at any time to participate in any work functions without proper compensation. I won a week long vacation that I had to go on to an event that my company sponcers and I was paid as if I was at work for the week.

Like I said before well run businesses that appreciate their employees day in and day out don't need after hours social functions to say *thank you* to their employees.

In my retail store bonuses, cash incentives, contests that reward with extra discounts and or food and beverage for their breaks are what the sales associates want as a thank you for a job well done. Not a couple of hours with some food during their personal time.

dsny1mom

 

[bumbershoot]

The outside ones, eh...I don't feel like they are team building. The day after one of these types of parties is nothing but gossip, who left with who, who drank to much, who was a snob. Nope, don't feel like they are team building parties at all.


Kelly

And that's sort of what it sounds like the OP's company party is like.

...becasue the next day at work, it is always a subject of conversation. The general feeling is that these people don't really care about the store as a team...

Just seems to be unnecessary conversation; feels like your co-workers should be more focused on the fun THEY had, rather than concerning themselves with why others didn't come join the fun.

...they are not boring, sit in your seat and stay there parties. This year we are going to a local fun spot for a buffett, lazer tag, and go carts. All of which are no cost to us. In years past we have done a movie night with catered in food, or trips to an art museum.

How are people even noticing that people are missing? What if someone DID pop in for 5 minutes and only a couple people noticed them? Do your co-workers canvas everyone to make sure no one saw them?

I would be more uncomfortable with the attitude being put out about the managers who don't go to the party, than with managers who don't go to a party. The gossip feels more anti-company/each other than just not going to a party.

I think one thing that people tend to forget is that company social events are often a kind of "thank you" to the staff for the work they do for the company. As such, it is in good form for management staff to come as they are the ones thanking others for their service, even if it's just for a little while and not the entire event.

You had me at the first part. When I worked and there were parties, and with hubby's work parties and picnics, they ARE big huge "thank yous" to the employees and their families.

Then with the second part, ya lost me. Because no one could care any less about who else might be there or not, because everyone is too busy having FUN to have time to care!


Of course, it helps that there are literally thousands of employees there, especially at the summer picnics. It would be very easy to miss people, even the CEO if he were to show up (and he's pretty distinctive).

Hubby's party is next Saturday, and I assure you that no one is going to feel any less about people who don't come, except to think "why on earth would you WANT to miss that fun?" And I'm glad that his (and my former) company is like that!

 

[Styx Fan]

I don't get why the OP cares if some of the managers never go. Most of the jobs I have had, I hung out more with the other staff at my level and not with the managers....even if I liked them a lot. Just go and have fun

At one job I had, which was full time/salary position and I was not in management, they were always having "team building" outings. Not company paid for and on our own time. I was one of the older folks on the team at 34ish. Most of them were in their mid-late 20's. I actually told my supervisor that I wasn't into to attending these outings....I was married with a child and needed my personal time for me. She didn't like it, but I was an excellent employee to it flew.

 

[bicker]

I think one thing that people tend to forget is that company social events are often a kind of "thank you" to the staff for the work they do for the company. As such, it is in good form for management staff to come as they are the ones thanking others for their service, even if it's just for a little while and not the entire event.

I think that's skewing things a bit, though, because it isn't management for whom workers work, when they work for a company, but rather they work for ownership, and it is ownership that is thanking them.