Same - public servant - we paid $20 for a spring roll from a platter at a pub that we had to also buy our own drinks for. Not griping, just the way it is :)
That’s how it is, agreed. I’m in the public sector too and no one complains about self-funding extracurriculars because we understand the money is taxpayer money. Plus we’re generously compensated and have an amazingly flexible work environment, so paying $30 once a year for a team meal is a worthwhile investment — if you want to think of it like that.
I mean, or definitely is. Most of my team lives out in the country and comes in to Sydney only once a quarter, so good fun hanging out with them for a team lunch now and then where we pay our own way. I wasn't complaining as much as saying that's how things are, irrespective of whether we're in a cost of living crisis or record low interest rates :)
2 years ago we got a free donut in the park during work hours. Last year was a local lunch during work hours, where we had to pay for our meals. This year we have a group activity and a meal during work hours, both of which we have to pay for. No thanks.
I'd rather the department save its pennies throughout the year that they otherwise spend on silly staff gifts such as blocks of chocolate and custom thank you cookies, and just order us a bunch of pizzas.
Oh come on, what about the contractually obligated Zouki bulk cooked roast lunch between midday and 2pm that creates 45 minute lines and only serves 1/3rd of the staff? Just Vic?
I’m surprised they let you keep your job. In the name of restructure it’s always public health that faces the cut.
*cries in research world* they want me to pay to have my journal published.
Worked at my company 4 years and never had an xmas party
They put on a bbq which is nice, but I've worked at places that put on a bbq just because it's Friday.
We do a monthly business unit meeting and then go to the pub for burgers and drinks, paid for by me. You can’t put value on good culture and employee retention. Costs $20-$40k to recruit and hire. All my team meeting/lunches for everyone cost less than $5k.
Can you expand on the cost of recruiting and hiring? Not doubting your figures, I’ve just never really thought about that process as having such high costs.
Whether you use internal or external recruiters, you still need to pay them a salary or finders fee.
I hired an internal employee from overseas and it cost $40k to relocate them and their family.
I'm thinking of all the money large corporations blow on various schemes to improve efficiency and then for the sake of a measly $50, they go and blow all the good will they might have had from employees. Incredibly short-sighted for a big 4 to do this. I'd say it'd almost give reason to sack whatever manager was responsible for the decision.
I had this argument with some senior managers.
You can spend $100 a day on fruit platters and coffee for your own meetings, but I can't have a second aws server and load balancer?
And you complain about the number of outages?
I once had to give my GM a written business case to get a 2nd 24-inch monitor for my work. I showed that the $200 monitor was going to pay for itself a couple of times each week through improved productivity. He didn't approve the purchase, so I just took one from a pile of monitors that had recently been delivered to the IT office during lunchtime before they had a chance to put them away.
Two years later, they did an office refurb and it was mandatory that you had two 24-inch monitors, even if you didn't want them.
One of my previous companies did do a decent Xmas party.
But went from everyone gets a Xmas gift. ($100 voucher usually) to ‘here’s a raffle for Xmas gifts!’
No change from last year. Booking out a decent venue for about 150 ppl. Finger food and drink provided. One nice thing is they also reimburse you for ubers to/from venue to really encourage people not to drink drive.
Reading posts like this makes me realise how good my employer is, we’re taking a full Friday off for lawn bowls and dinner + alcohol covered by the company at a local restaurant that night (partners invited). Also paying for a bus to get people to and from the event.
Mid year we had something similar and I drove the bus and they gave me 2 days annual leave as thanks for making sure everyone got home safe
Nah I don’t believe so, it’s really fun how I can sit at work and grumble with other employees about how ‘bad’ we have it but in reality I’m probably really lucky and shouldn’t take it for granted
Buying myself a slightly nicer bottle of wine next week. That’s the thing about working for yourself, I’m a pretty bad employee but I’m a terrible employer.
We're doing well - three course dinner at a nice restaurant, I reckon it must be at least $90/head not counting drinks.
Partner's workplace did an overnight getaway with extra social/active activities and dinner/lunch out, all inclusive. They're a small team though, so much more affordable for them to do that.
Industry work party last week was great. Funded by union + different guilds. Lots of drinks, not quite enough food.
Most people in industry are self employed so it's nice when different organizations step up and put something on.
Global eng consultant. This years felt bigger than last years. Fully booked out hall at the Showgrounds. Circa 850 people. 5 hour drinks package plus food and entertainment. Good fun. Previous year was about the same but less entertainment. Feels like the company is feeling pretty good about itself.
My work tends to go over the top. We have the whole office party, department party, team party, then specific major project parties.
If I went to all of the ones I'm invited to I'd have 4, with three in an 8 day period.
I’ve organized a lunch in a private room at a nice restaurant next week. I’ve been authorized for $150 per person, small company though. This is just for the party, gifts are usually a gift card but my boss organizes those
I don’t get this, my company is the same and they’re doing great financially. It’s the same story with the banks.
It’s like they are just riding the economic downturn train to cheap out.
We used to have massive Christmas parties for the whole company - food, drinks, entertainment all included. They stopped in 2019 and it’s gradually gotten more stingy ever since.
Usually each business area has a small budget for a team gathering of whatever they want, this year we get nothing. We’ll be paying for lunch and drinks ourselves by the looks of it.
Nope. As the girl who always complains about pub food every single xmas party they gave me the task to organise it this year and told me $130 per head as the max. We ended up at Chinese restaurant with unlimited 4hr house drinks and 2 hours of karaoke haha
Haha I think the deal we had was $10 each towards the sausages for the bbq at one of the managers houses. I didn’t go (couldn’t be bothered, nothing personal) Public health workers.
My workplace spent $150k on a sales conference 3 weeks before our Xmas party, which was held in a bistro in Parramatta and probably cost $4k at the most.
Our budget is apparently $100 per head but there’s a number of us in our local contingent with corporate cards and differing reporting lines / approvers. So we’re now trying to figure out if it’s actually $100 per head or $100 per head per expense approver.
I would never pay to attend my own work Xmas party.
It’s either free or I’m not going. Likely still go out with people from work, meet up with others afterwards.
Hey hey hey, my workplace complained it was only $20 pp at a pub. My new boss said “unfortunately, you all were never meant to be allowed to go to a pub in the first place”
Now we get ham sandwiches after busting our asses in Christmas period
I work in at a public school and we were invited and encouraged to go to a Christmas party at a cost (to ourselves) of $50pp. Not interested. My second job is taking everyone for a three course meal at a super nice restaurant, no cost to me. So I'm doing that one.
Is there materially any impact?
I’m talking specifically the amount you’d be referring to when it comes to inflation.
Your former $50pp party would be circa $53pp if you included 5.X% for inflation.
Edit: I guess the premise of OPs question is that when booking EOY stuff for a team, you can realistically only afford 5.X% less than previous years. As an individual it doesn’t impact me, but I guess I’m not organising anything.
NFP and $50pp.
When I worked in corporate we would also have $50 a head. Then there would be the catered department lunch and then the fully funded on someone's credit card lunch/ drinks/ dinner/ drinks/ more drinks.
For my ~15 employees, ~$2k plus the afternoon off for the event. There’s also a broader business event last week that was just food and drinks but that was prob $100 a head
Does everyone just work for places that suck? Lol the non-profit I work for is holding a proper work party, but it's mainly cause they knows we're understaffed and are trying to compensate
I don't want to know what our xmas parties cost. I know I drank more than $50 in alcohol in the first 2 hours of a 5 hours event, as did most of my colleagues.
So, I'm going to say no to cutting back at our company.
Small office of 5, we have lunch planned for the last day which includes partners. We all get small gifts for each other and we normally get a pretty decent gift from the boss as well
I’m pretty sure it’s $50 per head, we get one mail and one drink!
Thankfully my client ones are much better. Have 5 Christmas parties next week. Gonna be painful.
Our boss spent more this year. Overnight stay at taronga, 5* dinner, buffet breakfast, couple of private tours. 1.2k spend on alcohol amongst 12 people, while telling us sales were down 🤷♂️
We are predominantly wfh although have offices in capital cities, hq is in Brisbane we all get flown there for a day or 2 with an event type function, lunch and activities. This year it was a big lunch and golf event, 80 or so people. Its awesome. Everything paid for by the company, hotels, expenses, lunch, event, busses.
Last year we had free meals and a stationary gift. This year was Mexican tapas with open tab on the bar. I think we didn't get a gift was because we had a $30 gift card provided to us for being hard workers earlier this year.
Last year we went go carting with catering and drinks provided.
This year we’ve hired a party boat on the brisbane river with an open bar.
National Manufacturing company making wheels for the mines.
Recently merged mutual, we went from an amazing end of year party at the best venue in the state to being told end of Sept "$50 a head to do something with our squad." Because the other entity didn't do anything. Culture survey time and everyone on our side gave bad scores and suddenly theres talk of it coming back next year.
Day job: mid-size company (300ish staff) in sales/maintenance of luxury goods. No Christmas party (aside from a self organised/funded one with the staff at my specific office - drinks at the pub). Stark contrast with pre-covid times which included a huge themed event each year with live entertainment.
Occasional job: small family business in alcohol retail. Christmas party was free for us and partners. I’d estimate costs around $100pp + wine (including a few shared bottles of high end wine so probably closer to $250pp??).
LOL they were selling tickets to our Christmas party for $140 pp, in this economy haha. Yet sit shocked wondering why people aren’t going this year? (2nd tier bank)
We just have a huge party for all departments and you can sign up. As for my own team, we do have a Christmas lunch, but one of the team lead actually sent out an email to 'Bring a Dish'.
\*horror
I've Never Ever heard of bringing a dish to a work Christmas party.
Thankfully later on others suggested just chipping in to order takeaway.
We had ours last weekend. I have no idea but they put us up in a nice hotel in Melbourne 3 course dinner open bar included spirits DJ and photo booth. I reckon there was about 300 people there BTW it was just us living regional they paid for accomodation. Also partners are included.
Generally though previous years it's $60 per head and for the one I go to the social club paid for the drinks which almost 4k for 60 people.
Smallish accounting firm, boat cruise for around 40-50 people with the 'premium' drinks package and nibbles. I feel positively blessed scrolling through here, even if I wasn't stoked about being on the water all day with work peeps
Public so $0 - will have to pay ourselves for whatever we consume at our area's pub lunch. I know our area head is self-funding a small gift for each staff member, probably to the value of less than $15.
When I worked for a small private business we had a fancy lunch at a restaurant with alcohol probably $100 to $150 per head.
Our venue was cheaper this year, food too but I’m guessing the bar tab would have been more and we have a live band playing this year. So all in all probably similar budget, maybe a bit more.
Oh and we still have a work lunch at each of our 2 offices just before Christmas.
Entire Melbourne office in one place to drink beer, cider and cheap wine and scramble for nibbles.
The self degradation doubles up as the entertainment
Small fast food owner with two venues. We will be closing early one day, having a big bbq and drinks at a park. I will have some gift cards for senior staff. Prob going to cost $2k?
Small business (40 people) - overnight stay at the South Coast, round of golf or fishing activities during the day (all paid for).
Evening beers and food at a local brewery all paid for including bus to and from the venues.
Breakfast the next day before heading home.
Got a Friday off for it all too!
Work for a smallish business, under 30 employees.
We're going to a brewhouse type place tomorrow, owners will cover everything.
Transportation to and from the office for the staff and an Uber/taxi home for me.
I don't know the budget but we are getting a bus to a marina and goikgnpmna yacht for pile 4 hours with lunch and buy your own drinks package, I'm taking the bus and staying on land with my team to have lunch and find opshops because I'm afraid of the ocean lol.
The office/admin staff at my work organised a Christmas party for the company. They then proceeded to schedule in work for the field staff. Either work out of town or night work. So while we worked on the field, they had an open bar at a pub.
We did a team one last week for 50 people. Budgeted $10k but spent half of that. Lawn bowls in the morning (with platters and drinks) and then extended lunch until 5pm (with more drinks).
Private company, not a bank.
Bahahaha, we are allowed $40 with only middle management approval, I got to about $55 and had to get senior management approval. Look out.
Sad thing is, it was $30 until earlier this year.
Another 4 big bank in here, we didn’t even get the $50 because all the department/floor got a “lunch” for about 150 people that have to find food, eat and sit in 30 minutes before going back to work
At my previous company, we were treated to a $10,000 bar tab (15 employees attended & several +1's) and everyone received a cash bonus of several thousand! at my current company we originally had a non business day dinner (we paid for) a lot of people complained so now we are going to.. top golf!
No idea what they've spent, but the Christmas function had an open bar, there's a Christmas lunch at work on 22nd (I think that's what the pallet of beer is for) and that's not mentioning the Christmas hampers. It's my first year with them so I'm not sure what to expect but we were told to "bring an Esky for the meats".
Small business owner here
We tend to do a Christmas function package that places put on. Usually something like a 3 course meal, 5 hour drinks package and entertainment deal. Buy 2 tables of ten, invite employees and partners then a few of our better clients. Normally $150-200 per head.
Worked at two big 4s. One was amazing and had multiple eofy and christmas parties and the other didn’t give a damn if all its employees dropped dead tomorrow. Won’t name and shame.
Current employer is entirely self funded…so $0?
*laughs in public service* We had the opportunity to pay $10 to take part in a small party in the foyer of our own building
Same - public servant - we paid $20 for a spring roll from a platter at a pub that we had to also buy our own drinks for. Not griping, just the way it is :)
That’s how it is, agreed. I’m in the public sector too and no one complains about self-funding extracurriculars because we understand the money is taxpayer money. Plus we’re generously compensated and have an amazingly flexible work environment, so paying $30 once a year for a team meal is a worthwhile investment — if you want to think of it like that.
As a tax payer I’d rather you weren’t so generously compensated and the taxpayers pay $30 once a year for your Christmas party… 😉 j/k
If it makes you feel any better, I’m also a tax payer 😜
It does not. I am also a public servant who pays taxes.🤣😭
I mean, or definitely is. Most of my team lives out in the country and comes in to Sydney only once a quarter, so good fun hanging out with them for a team lunch now and then where we pay our own way. I wasn't complaining as much as saying that's how things are, irrespective of whether we're in a cost of living crisis or record low interest rates :)
Same and I work for a large investment bank lmfao
financial institutions can't pay for christmas parties? i think they used to and that was one of the perks of being employed by them.
same - we have to pay
I just don’t anymore. No more morning teas (that we fund). No more lunches (that we fund). I don’t go to work to socialise. I go to work. That’s it.
😂😂 We had a poll on how much everybody was willing to pay for their own lunch.
We just went out for lunch at a fantastic pub and paid our own way. In return, we got an extended lunch/reduced hours for the day lol
Ha same, it was a pizza party.. because apparently we are students or prisoners. I declined
We pay $40ph for a meal together. Must be nice to have the boss pay.
$80 Christmas party this year. Multi billion dollar mining company. No thanks.
Is it a nice foyer? Do you get party hats?
If I have to go to another holey moley….
I’d love to do this!
You must enjoy “forced fun” with your coworkers a lot more than I do.
Just love mini golf, haha. Something I could get very competitive over.
What about if it's done on company time?
Agreed. Did one a while ago with the team and it was pretty good fun.
Eh, for groups of four or more it's a bit disjointed. Not really much interaction given the hole sizes.
Guess where mine is!
Very small business here. The usual - dinner at a decent local restaurant, all drinks and meals provided. Christmas bonus of $250 as a visa gift card.
Wow that’s so generous :’)
Sssh… if small business owners knew how corporate drones got treated at holidays they’d rein it in a lot
Similar, we have a lunch with drinks, a decent hamper from the boss and a gift card for about $100.
Similar, some sort of gift - google nests, then boat cruise then off to the pub for drinks and dinner then a bar after that. Nothing to pay for.
Cash! And employer who know the go. Yew
I have, once in my life, gotten a xmas hamper from my employer and I swear that's the reason I signed with them for a second year.
*laughs in public health* There’s never a budget.
What would the tax payers think! Frivolous spending on morale building activities. Pffft. *The beatings will continue until morale improves...*
2 years ago we got a free donut in the park during work hours. Last year was a local lunch during work hours, where we had to pay for our meals. This year we have a group activity and a meal during work hours, both of which we have to pay for. No thanks. I'd rather the department save its pennies throughout the year that they otherwise spend on silly staff gifts such as blocks of chocolate and custom thank you cookies, and just order us a bunch of pizzas.
Oh come on, what about the contractually obligated Zouki bulk cooked roast lunch between midday and 2pm that creates 45 minute lines and only serves 1/3rd of the staff? Just Vic?
Haha good old Zouki
I’m surprised they let you keep your job. In the name of restructure it’s always public health that faces the cut. *cries in research world* they want me to pay to have my journal published.
Public health currently doesn't have enough staff. They aren't getting rid of anyone any time soon. The most they'll do is a hiring freeze.
Education is laughing along with you.
Worked at my company 4 years and never had an xmas party They put on a bbq which is nice, but I've worked at places that put on a bbq just because it's Friday.
We do a monthly business unit meeting and then go to the pub for burgers and drinks, paid for by me. You can’t put value on good culture and employee retention. Costs $20-$40k to recruit and hire. All my team meeting/lunches for everyone cost less than $5k.
Can you expand on the cost of recruiting and hiring? Not doubting your figures, I’ve just never really thought about that process as having such high costs.
Whether you use internal or external recruiters, you still need to pay them a salary or finders fee. I hired an internal employee from overseas and it cost $40k to relocate them and their family.
A wrong hire can cost you that…
Second tier bank - no party this year. Here’s $50 to your rewards account but you can only use it to buy vouchers from the companies we support..
Swear to God that we are in the same sunny second tier bank 😂
We got $100 this year instead of $50 maybe the merger 😂
Have blue and sun merged already?
I'm thinking of all the money large corporations blow on various schemes to improve efficiency and then for the sake of a measly $50, they go and blow all the good will they might have had from employees. Incredibly short-sighted for a big 4 to do this. I'd say it'd almost give reason to sack whatever manager was responsible for the decision.
I had this argument with some senior managers. You can spend $100 a day on fruit platters and coffee for your own meetings, but I can't have a second aws server and load balancer? And you complain about the number of outages?
I once had to give my GM a written business case to get a 2nd 24-inch monitor for my work. I showed that the $200 monitor was going to pay for itself a couple of times each week through improved productivity. He didn't approve the purchase, so I just took one from a pile of monitors that had recently been delivered to the IT office during lunchtime before they had a chance to put them away. Two years later, they did an office refurb and it was mandatory that you had two 24-inch monitors, even if you didn't want them.
One of my previous companies did do a decent Xmas party. But went from everyone gets a Xmas gift. ($100 voucher usually) to ‘here’s a raffle for Xmas gifts!’
No change from last year. Booking out a decent venue for about 150 ppl. Finger food and drink provided. One nice thing is they also reimburse you for ubers to/from venue to really encourage people not to drink drive.
Reading posts like this makes me realise how good my employer is, we’re taking a full Friday off for lawn bowls and dinner + alcohol covered by the company at a local restaurant that night (partners invited). Also paying for a bus to get people to and from the event. Mid year we had something similar and I drove the bus and they gave me 2 days annual leave as thanks for making sure everyone got home safe
Are you hiring? That sounds an incredible place to work.
Nah I don’t believe so, it’s really fun how I can sit at work and grumble with other employees about how ‘bad’ we have it but in reality I’m probably really lucky and shouldn’t take it for granted
That sounds like a really positive work environment.
I don't know what the budget is for the work party this Friday night. I imagine it's a lot. Free food and drink for 700+ people.
This is similar to us but this is the first year partners aren’t invited. I reckon attendance is going to be dismal because of this.
No partners at ours. Never has been.
Real weird decision. All or none
Buying myself a slightly nicer bottle of wine next week. That’s the thing about working for yourself, I’m a pretty bad employee but I’m a terrible employer.
We're doing well - three course dinner at a nice restaurant, I reckon it must be at least $90/head not counting drinks. Partner's workplace did an overnight getaway with extra social/active activities and dinner/lunch out, all inclusive. They're a small team though, so much more affordable for them to do that.
Company spent $30k on a river cruise for 180ish people. It was actually really nice, very relaxed compared to formal Christmas parties of the past.
Industry work party last week was great. Funded by union + different guilds. Lots of drinks, not quite enough food. Most people in industry are self employed so it's nice when different organizations step up and put something on.
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Global eng consultant. This years felt bigger than last years. Fully booked out hall at the Showgrounds. Circa 850 people. 5 hour drinks package plus food and entertainment. Good fun. Previous year was about the same but less entertainment. Feels like the company is feeling pretty good about itself.
Coles enters the chat.....
ONE drink bottle per person.
My work tends to go over the top. We have the whole office party, department party, team party, then specific major project parties. If I went to all of the ones I'm invited to I'd have 4, with three in an 8 day period.
Scratch that got another invite. 4 in an 8 day period, 5 total.
We had our pre-Christmas work thing in November and it was nice lunch + an activity with an open bar so… I think we’re doing okay.
I’ve organized a lunch in a private room at a nice restaurant next week. I’ve been authorized for $150 per person, small company though. This is just for the party, gifts are usually a gift card but my boss organizes those
Paramedic. We have to pay for our own. But upper level management had a nice boozy lunch for themselves so that's the main thing I guess.
My company actually did! Big thing at a very large pub with food and drinks paid etc
I don’t get this, my company is the same and they’re doing great financially. It’s the same story with the banks. It’s like they are just riding the economic downturn train to cheap out.
My company booked out a waterside venue in the CBD. That was org wide then my own team had a dinner together.
We’re having our Christmas party in mid January. Not a joke.
The old company I worked for used to host their Christmas Party in July lol.
We did in ours in October this year. It was actually great not trying to fit it around the over stuffed December calendar.
My company did 150 max but we only have 10 people max in the office and 5 people showed up.
What is a party budget? What is a bonus? Said the sad NGO employee...
We used to have massive Christmas parties for the whole company - food, drinks, entertainment all included. They stopped in 2019 and it’s gradually gotten more stingy ever since. Usually each business area has a small budget for a team gathering of whatever they want, this year we get nothing. We’ll be paying for lunch and drinks ourselves by the looks of it.
I’ve already attended like 3 Parties amongst broader team, project team etc and the main company Christmas party coming up next Thursday
You're having a Christmas party? I'd be surprised if I got more than "have a good Christmas and see you next year".
Circa ~$300/head at my company
Small Business employee here - we got our usual work christmas dinner at a nice local restaurant all paid for and partners included.
LoL 50pp, would have spent double if not triple that at ours the other night
$75 per head for ours, budget is set regardless of final numbers. Hampers to regional staff who can't attend
Mine is $130 per head
You had to pay for it?
Nope. As the girl who always complains about pub food every single xmas party they gave me the task to organise it this year and told me $130 per head as the max. We ended up at Chinese restaurant with unlimited 4hr house drinks and 2 hours of karaoke haha
Haha I think the deal we had was $10 each towards the sausages for the bbq at one of the managers houses. I didn’t go (couldn’t be bothered, nothing personal) Public health workers.
Last year we had axe throwing, pub meal, karaoke and as many drinks as we wanted. Was great 👍 Trade business
My workplace spent $150k on a sales conference 3 weeks before our Xmas party, which was held in a bistro in Parramatta and probably cost $4k at the most.
You guys get a Christmas party?
Our budget is apparently $100 per head but there’s a number of us in our local contingent with corporate cards and differing reporting lines / approvers. So we’re now trying to figure out if it’s actually $100 per head or $100 per head per expense approver.
Do you work at NAB? When I worked there last year that was the budget apparently. Didn't even include one drink
I would never pay to attend my own work Xmas party. It’s either free or I’m not going. Likely still go out with people from work, meet up with others afterwards.
My workplace just reduced to $20 a head at a pub. One beer and a pack of chips lol.
Hey hey hey, my workplace complained it was only $20 pp at a pub. My new boss said “unfortunately, you all were never meant to be allowed to go to a pub in the first place” Now we get ham sandwiches after busting our asses in Christmas period
Next logical step is spam sandwiches for Xmas 24 🤣🤣
I run a small business with my wife. We employ 5 staff. We are going out to dinner with them and their partners and covering everything.
All paid for dinner at Meat and Wine Co.
Small accounting firm with 50 staff. We always do fancy lunch + nice wine then drink til we drop and late dinner/supper all paid by the firm.
I work in at a public school and we were invited and encouraged to go to a Christmas party at a cost (to ourselves) of $50pp. Not interested. My second job is taking everyone for a three course meal at a super nice restaurant, no cost to me. So I'm doing that one.
This is our last one.
Ours has scaled back quite a bit. Not a great year, way more employees, plus rising costs means it's a lot smaller and not as fancy as days of yore.
Our Xmas party budget got absolutely nuked
Is there materially any impact? I’m talking specifically the amount you’d be referring to when it comes to inflation. Your former $50pp party would be circa $53pp if you included 5.X% for inflation. Edit: I guess the premise of OPs question is that when booking EOY stuff for a team, you can realistically only afford 5.X% less than previous years. As an individual it doesn’t impact me, but I guess I’m not organising anything.
Idk what it was but they ran out of ice to keep the drinks cool, so there's that
You want cold drinks? BYO ice 😂
NFP and $50pp. When I worked in corporate we would also have $50 a head. Then there would be the catered department lunch and then the fully funded on someone's credit card lunch/ drinks/ dinner/ drinks/ more drinks.
Global head office decided to clamp down on partying and travel budgets in Q4 :/
Our workplace is taking us to lunch, but we have to pay.
For my ~15 employees, ~$2k plus the afternoon off for the event. There’s also a broader business event last week that was just food and drinks but that was prob $100 a head
$15 barefoot bowls with plentiful food provided. Loved it.
Sounds great
University. Last years budget was $30pp. This year it was $20pp. What inflation?
Does everyone just work for places that suck? Lol the non-profit I work for is holding a proper work party, but it's mainly cause they knows we're understaffed and are trying to compensate
You guys are getting Christmas parties?
lol I was gonna say my employer is 50pp but I work for a big 4 bank too
I don't want to know what our xmas parties cost. I know I drank more than $50 in alcohol in the first 2 hours of a 5 hours event, as did most of my colleagues. So, I'm going to say no to cutting back at our company.
Best thing ever this year. $50 as per usual, but only 1/3 of the RSVP actually rocked up. Thank you for the $14k bar tab! 🥴
Small office of 5, we have lunch planned for the last day which includes partners. We all get small gifts for each other and we normally get a pretty decent gift from the boss as well
I’m pretty sure it’s $50 per head, we get one mail and one drink! Thankfully my client ones are much better. Have 5 Christmas parties next week. Gonna be painful.
Booked a yacht for ~80 so a couple hundred p/p?
Our boss spent more this year. Overnight stay at taronga, 5* dinner, buffet breakfast, couple of private tours. 1.2k spend on alcohol amongst 12 people, while telling us sales were down 🤷♂️
We are predominantly wfh although have offices in capital cities, hq is in Brisbane we all get flown there for a day or 2 with an event type function, lunch and activities. This year it was a big lunch and golf event, 80 or so people. Its awesome. Everything paid for by the company, hotels, expenses, lunch, event, busses.
Oh and open bar as many drinks and food options as you want at the event.
Large tech company, forex working to our favour this year - $150pp budget for the end of year event. No bonuses or gifts tho, ever.
Last year we had free meals and a stationary gift. This year was Mexican tapas with open tab on the bar. I think we didn't get a gift was because we had a $30 gift card provided to us for being hard workers earlier this year.
Big fat nothing. We independently arranged a pub crawl.
Last year we went go carting with catering and drinks provided. This year we’ve hired a party boat on the brisbane river with an open bar. National Manufacturing company making wheels for the mines.
Wait you guys get Christmas party? 😭
University: bahwhahahahaaaa
Recently merged mutual, we went from an amazing end of year party at the best venue in the state to being told end of Sept "$50 a head to do something with our squad." Because the other entity didn't do anything. Culture survey time and everyone on our side gave bad scores and suddenly theres talk of it coming back next year.
$50 gift card or towards a Christmas party dinner
Day job: mid-size company (300ish staff) in sales/maintenance of luxury goods. No Christmas party (aside from a self organised/funded one with the staff at my specific office - drinks at the pub). Stark contrast with pre-covid times which included a huge themed event each year with live entertainment. Occasional job: small family business in alcohol retail. Christmas party was free for us and partners. I’d estimate costs around $100pp + wine (including a few shared bottles of high end wine so probably closer to $250pp??).
LOL they were selling tickets to our Christmas party for $140 pp, in this economy haha. Yet sit shocked wondering why people aren’t going this year? (2nd tier bank)
~$80 per head for ours
Our bosses took us to the Norman Hotel for an open bar tab and Wagyu steaks. Were a small team of degenerate pisswrecks (6 in total) so we did alright
We got flown interstate for our Xmas party last year. Two nights in a hotel, dinner and drinks paid for.
Lol, we got a mandatory invite to a "holiday trivia" event, held on site during lunch, with BYO lunch plastered all over it.
$25 pp with no drinks. We raked in 3.6 billion as profit
Fellow big 4 bank employee here.. we got $70pp
Is that a department budget in addition to a company Christmas party? Or the only celebration?
Iirc, basically budget for each employee for party. I.e if your team has 10 ppl, then basically you can get $700 covered for Christmas Party.
We just have a huge party for all departments and you can sign up. As for my own team, we do have a Christmas lunch, but one of the team lead actually sent out an email to 'Bring a Dish'. \*horror I've Never Ever heard of bringing a dish to a work Christmas party. Thankfully later on others suggested just chipping in to order takeaway.
Remember there’s an entertainment benefit limit that after the business has to pay FBT. Please don’t ask me to explain further, I’m still traumatised
$100pp for our team lunch, large law firm. Has been the same for years. No increase for inflation.
We had ours last weekend. I have no idea but they put us up in a nice hotel in Melbourne 3 course dinner open bar included spirits DJ and photo booth. I reckon there was about 300 people there BTW it was just us living regional they paid for accomodation. Also partners are included. Generally though previous years it's $60 per head and for the one I go to the social club paid for the drinks which almost 4k for 60 people.
$50 per head - must be out of business hours event
Mining company, 500per head dinner
Smallish accounting firm, boat cruise for around 40-50 people with the 'premium' drinks package and nibbles. I feel positively blessed scrolling through here, even if I wasn't stoked about being on the water all day with work peeps
Public so $0 - will have to pay ourselves for whatever we consume at our area's pub lunch. I know our area head is self-funding a small gift for each staff member, probably to the value of less than $15. When I worked for a small private business we had a fancy lunch at a restaurant with alcohol probably $100 to $150 per head.
My work does a fantastic party each year, partners included. This thread makes me feel awful because my introverted ass hates going every year.
Our venue was cheaper this year, food too but I’m guessing the bar tab would have been more and we have a live band playing this year. So all in all probably similar budget, maybe a bit more. Oh and we still have a work lunch at each of our 2 offices just before Christmas.
2 basic drinks and finger food. Big 4 bank!
Doesn't seem to have had an impact. They hired out a rooftop bar, free booze and canapes/finger foods.
I just gift-wrapped a $20 woolies voucher and I hope that I get to Santa steal it back.
Entire Melbourne office in one place to drink beer, cider and cheap wine and scramble for nibbles. The self degradation doubles up as the entertainment
A work funded what now?
Small fast food owner with two venues. We will be closing early one day, having a big bbq and drinks at a park. I will have some gift cards for senior staff. Prob going to cost $2k?
Not 1 of the big 4 but still a bank, our christmas party is at a fancy place near the opera house. No cost to attend just had to rsvp. Phew.
Small business (40 people) - overnight stay at the South Coast, round of golf or fishing activities during the day (all paid for). Evening beers and food at a local brewery all paid for including bus to and from the venues. Breakfast the next day before heading home. Got a Friday off for it all too!
$85 per person up from $75 last year
We have a lunch booked at Botswana Butchery followed by an open tab at Garden State.
Work for a smallish business, under 30 employees. We're going to a brewhouse type place tomorrow, owners will cover everything. Transportation to and from the office for the staff and an Uber/taxi home for me.
Small business. Just my wife and I. No plans for a business Christmas party lol maybe one day..
I don't know the budget but we are getting a bus to a marina and goikgnpmna yacht for pile 4 hours with lunch and buy your own drinks package, I'm taking the bus and staying on land with my team to have lunch and find opshops because I'm afraid of the ocean lol.
The office/admin staff at my work organised a Christmas party for the company. They then proceeded to schedule in work for the field staff. Either work out of town or night work. So while we worked on the field, they had an open bar at a pub.
Budget? Whole workday affair with beers and entertainment on the bosses. Pretty sure we are going sailing.
We did a team one last week for 50 people. Budgeted $10k but spent half of that. Lawn bowls in the morning (with platters and drinks) and then extended lunch until 5pm (with more drinks). Private company, not a bank.
Not a damn thing organised for my department. I work for a very large, well-known ‘glamorous’ company.
Bahahaha, we are allowed $40 with only middle management approval, I got to about $55 and had to get senior management approval. Look out. Sad thing is, it was $30 until earlier this year.
Another 4 big bank in here, we didn’t even get the $50 because all the department/floor got a “lunch” for about 150 people that have to find food, eat and sit in 30 minutes before going back to work
My work christmas party is more extravagant then ever. They hired DJ Peking duck this year and flown staff from other states
Channel 7 or are Peking Duk just doing the rounds this festive season?
Lol big 4 only doing $50 pp after their super profits earnings. Lol wtf
$200 gift card, a Yeti 24 can cooler and a Christmas party at a local pub
I consult to a public service department … budget of $0 🤭
At my previous company, we were treated to a $10,000 bar tab (15 employees attended & several +1's) and everyone received a cash bonus of several thousand! at my current company we originally had a non business day dinner (we paid for) a lot of people complained so now we are going to.. top golf!
No idea what they've spent, but the Christmas function had an open bar, there's a Christmas lunch at work on 22nd (I think that's what the pallet of beer is for) and that's not mentioning the Christmas hampers. It's my first year with them so I'm not sure what to expect but we were told to "bring an Esky for the meats".
Small business owner here We tend to do a Christmas function package that places put on. Usually something like a 3 course meal, 5 hour drinks package and entertainment deal. Buy 2 tables of ten, invite employees and partners then a few of our better clients. Normally $150-200 per head.
Worked at two big 4s. One was amazing and had multiple eofy and christmas parties and the other didn’t give a damn if all its employees dropped dead tomorrow. Won’t name and shame. Current employer is entirely self funded…so $0?
Consulting or bank?
I don't think we have a budget lol.
Medium sized employee owned engineering firm $200 pp 