Holiday office parties can be maligned and/or dreaded for a multitude of perfectly understandable reasons. Sometimes the camaraderie is forced and employees resent the “gift” of socializing with people they wouldn’t want to otherwise. Sometimes the party’s so cheap it makes people feel unappreciated (I remember one workplace where we were “rewarded” for our efforts with an employee potluck from 12:00-1:00 p.m. in the lunchroom).
And sometimes the big blowout comes off as tacky or soulless, especially when it involves partygoers who have a lot to say, a lot to drink, and not much to eat.
