Well, kidlings, it’s that most wonderful time of the year again. The Christmas spirit is already in the air, people are gearing up for the holiday season, making plans to see loved ones and overeat. Overspend and max out your credit cards buying shit that will be forgotten about two hours after the wrapping has been removed. I know that sounds kind of harsh, but for me I haven’t felt very Christmas-y since my daughter was living at home. It just doesn’t feel the same as when you have kids in your house as when you are by yourself.
It is also time for Christmas parties within the various workplaces, which is the subject of this little story.
I thought, after last year’s debacle with Mandatory Fun for our company Christmas party that our company would have learned. For a while, I thought that they did. All of us were informed well in advance that there would be a Christmas party at a nice hotel, and I was actually planning on attending said function.
My company had made reservations well in advance for the hotel and plonked down a huge deposit for the hall and the food. They had a committee of employees put together to plan it all out, and from what I heard from the sidelines, they actually had their collective shit together. Like I said, I was actually looking forward to attending this event, and if you know anything at all about me, that’s a rare thing. I generally HATE company gatherings, other than the one we do to raise money for cancer.
Alas, it is not to be. The employees were informed earlier this week that the Christmas party had been cancelled. Apparently, the cancellation took place for a couple of reasons, although none of them were made known to the general employee population. The information I got came from sources that were involved in the actual planning of the festivities.
The first was that it was scheduled for a Saturday night, and some of the Upper Management decided, at the last minute, that people might actually consume alcoholic adult beverages if an event were held on a Saturday night. Since that was a distinct possibility, it’s a good enough reason to cancel the event. Really? You mean, grown adult people who are above the Legal Drinking Age might decide that having a couple of belts with their coworkers would be a good way to have a little fun? Say it isn’t so! People might want to drink a couple of drinks, tell funny stories about things that happen at work, and actually have a good time? Perish the thought, we can’t have that.
The second reason that I heard directly from a member o f the committee was that there is a meeting that will be happening amongst the big-wigs during the week leading up to the party. It was felt by a member of Senior Management that after that week of meetings, that none of the managers involved in said meetings would be in the Holiday Spirit. So, because the managers would be down in the mouth, the employee Christmas party was also cancelled. Because, if the managers were in a foul mood, then the employees certainly don’t deserve a little party paid for by the company, to show the company’s appreciation for all of their hard work during the year. No no, can’t have that.
Now I know a couple of the people who sat on this little planning committee, and I know for a fact that they had nothing to do with the party being cancelled. No, it was one member of Senior Staff who made these decisions. Basically told the committee members, “Thanks for your great ideas, but we’re cancelling it anyway. Too bad, tough shit. Oh, and by the way, don’t even think about Christmas bonuses”
What does all of this say to the employees? Pretty simple actually. It says, right out loud in front of God and everyone, that the company simply doesn’t appreciate its employees. Doesn’t give a shit about them.
It is also time for Christmas parties within the various workplaces, which is the subject of this little story.
I thought, after last year’s debacle with Mandatory Fun for our company Christmas party that our company would have learned. For a while, I thought that they did. All of us were informed well in advance that there would be a Christmas party at a nice hotel, and I was actually planning on attending said function.
My company had made reservations well in advance for the hotel and plonked down a huge deposit for the hall and the food. They had a committee of employees put together to plan it all out, and from what I heard from the sidelines, they actually had their collective shit together. Like I said, I was actually looking forward to attending this event, and if you know anything at all about me, that’s a rare thing. I generally HATE company gatherings, other than the one we do to raise money for cancer.
Alas, it is not to be. The employees were informed earlier this week that the Christmas party had been cancelled. Apparently, the cancellation took place for a couple of reasons, although none of them were made known to the general employee population. The information I got came from sources that were involved in the actual planning of the festivities.
The first was that it was scheduled for a Saturday night, and some of the Upper Management decided, at the last minute, that people might actually consume alcoholic adult beverages if an event were held on a Saturday night. Since that was a distinct possibility, it’s a good enough reason to cancel the event. Really? You mean, grown adult people who are above the Legal Drinking Age might decide that having a couple of belts with their coworkers would be a good way to have a little fun? Say it isn’t so! People might want to drink a couple of drinks, tell funny stories about things that happen at work, and actually have a good time? Perish the thought, we can’t have that.
The second reason that I heard directly from a member o f the committee was that there is a meeting that will be happening amongst the big-wigs during the week leading up to the party. It was felt by a member of Senior Management that after that week of meetings, that none of the managers involved in said meetings would be in the Holiday Spirit. So, because the managers would be down in the mouth, the employee Christmas party was also cancelled. Because, if the managers were in a foul mood, then the employees certainly don’t deserve a little party paid for by the company, to show the company’s appreciation for all of their hard work during the year. No no, can’t have that.
Now I know a couple of the people who sat on this little planning committee, and I know for a fact that they had nothing to do with the party being cancelled. No, it was one member of Senior Staff who made these decisions. Basically told the committee members, “Thanks for your great ideas, but we’re cancelling it anyway. Too bad, tough shit. Oh, and by the way, don’t even think about Christmas bonuses”
What does all of this say to the employees? Pretty simple actually. It says, right out loud in front of God and everyone, that the company simply doesn’t appreciate its employees. Doesn’t give a shit about them.
Another odd thing about all of this is that all of the Senior Managers have been silent about it. No emails saying why it was cancelled. No explanations. Nothing. “Hello down there to all you pissants and worker bees. Just to let you know, we were gonna have a Christmas party, but we cancelled it. All of the managers will be bummed out, and we’re afraid that some of you might have one too many and really tell us what you think. As if we really cared what you drones and peasants actually think about anything. Also, forget about Christmas bonuses. The word “bonus” is hereby banned from the corporate vocabulary unless you are a member of Senior Staff of course. Keep working hard and making money for the stockholders.”
If it says anything at all, it just shows how out of touch with reality and the work force the management team is where I work at. They pay lip service to actually caring about the employees, when in fact we the employees know that they don’t.
One of the funniest things about this whole situation has to do with the facility that we were going to have the party at. Apparently, the Senior Staff member who was behind the cancellation actually got pissed off when the hotel told said Senior Staff person that, because the company cancelled at such a late date, you don’t get your rather significant deposit back. Nope, not one cent. This I find very amusing, but then again, whenever this particular member of Senior Staff gets screwed over, I find it amusing. In fact, hilarious.
So, because our Senior Management hasn’t felt the need to do so, I am providing the official Christmas Message to all my fellow employees:
“Work Harder, You Bastards. Christmas is Cancelled. Fuck Off and Die, but Do So on Your Own Time”
The most wonderful time of the year, indeed. I feel warm all over.
I have similar feelings for the (senior) management at the company I just left. In the last 2 months that I worked there, any time 'a peasant' inquired about a policy in their favour, 'the Company' would conveniently change it (all the policies were kept available for all to see on our intranet) so that the peasant had no leg to stand on as 'the policy has now been changed'. Absolute BS. It blows my mind how %$##$% awful these Senior Staff treat their employees!
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