One of my old jobs did the downhill slide with parties / bonuses too. I consider these to be in the same boat as dividends... once you START paying them, you better be ready for a shitstorm when you stop.

First, they had killer parties, and quarterly bonuses, with a spiff at x-mas. Then, sales got tighter, so they canned the party. BUT, they still sent every location a gigantic box of worthless promotional items at the beginning of december - and I mean baffling, worthless-yet-expensive, useless shit that went right into the backroom, never to be seen again. That box of bullshit cost more than the party, I promise.

Definitely in my top 5 Christmas movies of all time. As in: I can watch it every year and NEVER get sick of it.

lol

Exactly. And I could really USE a bonus this year, having just forked over DAT MONEY for DEM ROCKS

I know that times get tough. I know it's difficult to be competitive, and that there's a fire under tha bosses' collective ass to trim fat, but cutting christmas dough is the friggin holy of holies, and doing so opens mgmt up to some intense (and rightly deserved) scrutiny. I never saw so much second-guessing from the ranks as when the old job pulled that stunt. Suddenly every lunch the bosses had, what they drove, etc., looked different.

we're going out to dinner for our x-mas party tonight at a very nice place in Donaldonville, LA and we'll have to pay our own. So that means I'll drive one hour. Drop 80 bucks to spend time with people I see everyday, and get absolutely nothing in return. Drive one hour back on a Friday Night. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is this because Houma has nothing but like a Holiday Inn and a Shoney's, or what? That's piss-poor, OB. Demand better. Somebody's house, the office itself with booze, somethin.

We had our center holiday party yesterday.

(-) From 3:30 to 5:30ish
(-) Full of professors, so watch yer mouth!
(+) Open bar
(+) Nice place, old building, old furniture, etc.
(-) Only beer on tap = allegedly Grey's IPA, but tastes Nothing like grey's ipa. Instead tastes like a slightly more watery Bitburger. VERY pilsner, very UN-ipa. I ask to see keg, guy thinks I'm joking, I give up and play it off like I was. But I wasn't.
(+) Again, free.
(-) Gotta do lotsa talking, so can't get sloshed.
(+) Occured in the first place, whereas some don't get anything approaching a party. I count my blessings. And it was fun, if a very structured, careful fun.

you know K there's a very easy way to turn all those minuses into pluses.

i can't see how tonight will really involve any minuses. i actually *gasp* love my job and the majority of the people here, and the casino night will be awesome. added to that, we're going out after this w/ a few of my work buddies + their dates, and one of the dates works for a limo service. so we get carted around in a limo all night, all the while while wearing formal wear. how posh. i'm going to throw up in it.

I did my best to make some beer disappear, but really I don't think I represented the board properly. woot. woot indeed.

Actually it's just because I work with retards. They thought this sounded like fun.
Houma is pretty big (relative of course), and has the most attractions in the area. We were the 2nd fastest growing area in LA before Katrina, and we are projected to have the most growth post-Katrina fall out.

Oh that is just inexcusable of them, OB. Take the reigns, dammit. Do these people collect DUI's as trophies? Close to home, dammit. Close to home.

it's not about representing the board, but your own bad self.

My own bad self would probably just as soon be home, have 2 beers and watch a movie.


<--- lightweight.

But you get to live in PORTLAND!!!!!

I gave my peeps their bonuses today. And someone gave me the flu. Joy.

my company doesn't believe in christmas parties. we get a holiday luncheon next tuesday in our conference room during our lunch hour. that's our christmas party.

for a company that owns over 120+ magazine titles, rakes in millions of dollars a year, and has offices all over the country... one would *think* we'd get a christmas party. but no.

christmas bonuses? hahaha, when hell freezes over!

Something tells me you have the potential to be that chick that gets loaded and xeroxes her ass on the copier. I can't put my finger on it...

nope. i get wild, but i don't mix business with pleasure.

i think i'm the most toned-down drunk at my workplace.

its called being a professional, mang.

atta girl.

i get to leave at 3 today as well. it just keeps getting better.

you are right - living here makes a lot of this crap bearable

if i lived in georgia i would probably be dead by my own hand by now

if you worked for me I'd give you a hand, pal.

but pass the bar, and we'll make nice--i always love lawyers.