Work parties

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So every year we have this stupid holiday party where people bring food and there are games and some music playing. It's so boring and annoying and most definitely LOUD! I'm the only person at my job that doesn't go. I work with 11 other people but that may change. There will be several new hires coming up later in the year, maybe about 5 of them. So anyways, I just hate early Dec because that's when various divisions of DOJ have these parties. So I was thinking whenever my work has this stupid holiday party, that I should call in sick. I can easily just shut my door, and listen to my IPOD, but the laughing and yelling and what not is still loud! I just HATE the whole socializing at parties. What do you do if your job had a holiday party?

I can sympathize. My wife and I both stopped going to work parties and evey year its a "big deal". I had my boss convinced I was jewish for about 2 years. My co-workers still laugh at that one!
When I turned 30 I said I was done. I still go to some family get togethers.
You can try being honest, but I still find people can be really insulted by a refused invitation. If you can lie good you can make up an excuse, but they will catch on if you do this year after year.
The funny thing is that when I told my employer that I wasn't going to attend work parties anymore. People started coming up to me and saying " You are my hero, I hate these parties too". Yet every year they go.

There is this one co worker that tells me he hates parties too but he still goes to them. WHY???? I despise my own parties too! WAY too many people and most definitely too much noise. Is it the norm for aspies to not like parties due to the crowds and noise? You want to say something, but don't want to get hurt. The noise is beyond annoying. I am just going to call in sick whenever the stupid holiday party is. The gift exchange thing is stupid too.

Yeah, I just tell them I don't celebrate Christmas, which is partly true. I love all the colors, music and magically such of the season, but I don't go all out with an ugly sweater, maxed credit cards, and manditory family gatherings. At one job I had, I actually volunteered to man the phones, just so I didnt have to be involved. "Boy, she really loves her job" was the response. A little off the topic, but there have been jobs where I would work for free through my break just so that I didn't have to get involved in office politics around the round table break table discussions.

Oh yea I also avoid the malls between Black Friday and New Years. The crowds, the caroling, the music, the noise! I actually just buy gifts for my parents. I have no siblings, no friends, no love life so I save a lot of money. I just buy my parents gifts online or at dog shows.

December is the busiest time of year at my place of employment, so (thankfully) we don't have any office parties.

Anyway, I posted these urls before, but I am re-posting them here for those people who have never seen them:

* "Holiday Office Party Tips"
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=5036843
* "The Office Party: You MUST Attend"
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=6551972
* "Small Talk Secrets for the Holiday Season"
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=5040682
* "Interview: 'Art of Small Talk' "
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4958660
* "The Unger Report: Office Party Survival Guide" [humour]
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4225347

I am not comfortable going to holiday parties or parties in general. I feel like I am just sitting there watching everyone interact. I know that I should be too but I have nothing to say. I then become hyperaware that I do not look "normal" so that only increases my anxiety. In the past I would try to conjure up an artificle response and this only makes matters worse. Not what I call a really fun time. I don't know if this is going to change in time or if this is just apart of being an aspie.

There's no way in hell I'd go.

Do you have to call in sick to get out of them? I'd have thought a party would have been optional.

Well yes this time I will definitely call in sick and say I can't go. I'm the only person that doesn't go to these stupid work parties. So many of them in Dec. I work for the Federal Govt as a contractor and there are different sections of the govt and they all have their parties. So loud, so annoying! Plus the whole gift exchange thing is stupid. There are only 12 of us in the section i work with.

Work parties tend to suck, except for the free food. My work xmas parties are booze fests too, which I don't like as I do not drink alcohol. There are some cool people there, but to hang out and talk at a table for 3+ hours with them on my own time is too much.

Well work was thinking of perhaps doing the party at some restaurant. Even better to skip that. Too much noise going on and the smoke and alcohol. Well not smoke unless we sit outside. But DC banned cigarettes in their restaurants. Not sure about outside seating though. But it will be cold in Dec to sit outside although some Decs we have had temps in the 60s.


However if the work party had karaoke I may be tempted to go. Anyone would want to go to a work party if karaoke was involved? I love to sing since I majored in music in college. But most adults I assume only sing karaoke when they have a few drinks.

I avoid the parties myself. Everyone seems to get into their little cliques and talk about the others. Much like any other work day. Fortunately, I have a job that involves out-of-office work so I can usually just slip away without answering to anybody. In past jobs, we've had some parties that were "in house" and I usually cooked a few things. Im a decent cook. One of my superpowers and something that usually helps me bond with people at work. But I've been at my current job for years and the GM is always the featured cook so I'm out of that. Figures thats the least he could do since he doesn't seem to do anything else. I usually fill my plate with hors divers, retreat to my cab and hit the streets.