Mandatory Employee Party... (1 Viewer)

[Bryan X]

Sometimes you need to do things you don't necessarily feel like doing. It's a BIG part of life.

 

[Leila Dougan]

If your employer is so tyranical, why are you party to it's practices? By working there you are furthing it's cause, no? And if you continue to work there despite your disagreement with it's cause, then what motivation do you have besides your paycheck?

So, they are spending $50/person for this event. And you'd rather see this money go towards your pay, correct? That works out to roughly 9 hours of work, or a 50 cent raise for 100 hours. For part time workers, this is what, about a month or work? Would it make you feel better for the company to say they'd be raising your wage for 1 month only? Sounds like that would lower morale, not raise it. They'd be better off not giving the raise at all. So it looks like they've taken a better approach by throwing a party instead, which has the potential to return to them much more than $3000 in increased productivity.

But the truth is, you have every bit as much to gain from this party as they do. Do you know ALL your coworkers? Well enough to know a lot about them? Because networking is extremely important to getting ahead. It doesn't matter that you don't want to be in the restaurant business, but you never know when you'll meet someone who is, or knows someone else who's in the business you want to be. You've got to always keep your ears and eyes open for new people and not pass up opportunities to do just that. For what it's worth, I landed a prestigous student position in the field I dreamed of working in, all because I met this guy at a party who had a class with another guy who worked where I ended up working. Without that connection, I'd have NEVER gotten the job. So you just never know. The party might turn out to be boring, you might make a few friends, or you might make that one contact that can help you get to where you want to go. I used to think that all I needed was knowledge and hard work, then I found that in real world, that phrase "it's not what you know but who you know" couldn't be more true.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Let me agree, with this little piece of information for highly competitive fields (and it is not encouraging) - "It's not what you know or who you know, it's both". And I can't think of a more highly competitive field than an "idealist" professor trying to make a "change in the world" through academia. All universities do is crank out idealists (who become radical realists as soon as tenure is up for grabs).

 

[Ted Lee]

that is so very true. right now, i'm trying to get a job with this company. turns out a former co-worker of mine now works there ... luckily we were pretty good friends.

he actually came down to my interview and put in a good word for me. dunno if it helped any, but it certainly couldn't hurt.

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you've already been hammered enough. i simply say go, deal with it, then move on.

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oh yeah, my philosphical quote for the day:

"you get out of a job what you put into it."

 

[Joe Szott]

Then go work somewhere that supports your values so you don't have to worry about this. Between all the companies, corporations, not for profits, govt jobs, and charity work, I'm positive there is a program out there that you can align with.

No one's holding a gun to your head to stay there and it sounds like you don't have to have the cash, so just quit. If you hate them that much and don't even need the job, the only one to blame for you being there is you VP.

Go pursue your dreams, whatever they are. If nothing else, you could be a TA or work at a university to start getting a feel for your (currently) chosen field. Get out there!

 

[DaveF]

There's a simple third option: don't go and (very likely) keep working the job. Has it been seriously communicated (even if indirectly) that you will be fire for missing the party? You can even excuse yourself, claiming a prior engagement. (Surely, you have something else planned that night, even if it is sleeping or watching TV.)

Yes, life is unfair, no job is perfect, youth is wasted on the young, etc.

There's plenty of time for all that later. But if you don't enjoy this job, I do suggest looking for part-time work that you enjoy more. No point being saddled with drudgery if you can avoid it.

 

[MarkHastings]

My company has "Mandatory" meetings all the time, but the company will allow you to miss it if you have a good excuse. Heck, they even changed the meetings from 6 pm to 4:30 pm because people were complaining that 6 pm made them get home too late.

As far as not being a "salaried" employee...I can't see how a company can FORCE you to attend 'off hours' events. If you are salaried, you are expected to do these kinds of things.

 

[Charles Guajardo]

You're working near minimum wage for a restuarant in a college town? I wouldn't go. Those jobs are a dime a dozen. You have the luxury of being a student and living with your parents. Take advantage of it.

Now, if I were trying to support a family and pay bills with this job, I would be first in line at the buffet.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

"Calvin, go do something you hate. Misery breeds character."

- Calvin's Father, Calvin and Hobbes

 

[BrianW]

Gaaa! Dave, I didn't mean to convey that I believed he would get fired for not going to the party. I was simply tryng to say, as you did, that if he feels so strongly about this situation, he's better off working somewhere else, or not working at all.

But, lest my main point be lost, I was also trying to point out that employers are far more entitled to impose their values on their employees than the other way around, and that's as it should be. Private employers should be free to pursue whatever (legal) agenda they please and to spend their money however they want.

 

[John_Bonner]

Wow I'd hate to see your Q12 Gallup survey scores (inside joke for those of you who have to take the Q12).

In December of 1992 I "had" to go to an office Christmas Party (or "Holiday Party" as it is now known). I worked in New York City at the time and going to the party meant I wasn't going to get home until very late. I was only working for the company for a few weeks and really didn't know anyone. However I begrudgingly went and that night met a beautiful, amazing woman. In August we'll celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary with our 2 wonderful children....Sure glad I went to that party....

 

[MarkHastings]

Agreed. I think what most are confusing is the difference between a job and a career.

In other words:
With a "job" - you do what you WANT to do.
With a "career" - you do what you're TOLD to do.


It's up to you to decide wether you want your current employment to be just a 'job' or a 'career'.

 

[Don Black]

Hey, speak for yourself!

-Capitalist Swine

 

[BrianW]

Are you sure you don't have those backwards?

 

[Carl Miller]

Does the survey still ask if you have a "best friend" at work?

 

[DaveF]

I'm reading this thread sporadically and just took your comments literally

Van, be sure to tell us know what you do and what (if any) repurcussions there are.

And as for being a professor: it's a high-stress job with lots of unpaid meetings and foolish university values with which you will disagree. But that is a small price to pay for the opportunity to warp young minds

 

[Jason Kirkpatri]

Free food? I'd be there for sure!

 

[Van Patton]

Didn't go. Didn't get fired. Nobody mentioned my absence. All is well.

 

[Scott L]

That's what I figured would happen.

I would have went anyway, free food is hard to pass up.

 

[Philip_G]

though if he works at a restaurant and it was held there it's probably the same food he eats every time he works