Why we no longer attend end-year company parties
More employees shun company end-of-year parties.
What you need to know:
- At end of year office parties, drinks flow and a lavish buffet is spread out, setting the stage for a merry-making event.
- This longstanding tradition of end-of-year celebrations has been a highlight for employees, but not this year.
As the year draws to a close, companies are preparing for the time-honoured tradition—the end-of-year party.
These festive gatherings are not just a means to bid farewell to the year gone by, but they stand as a vibrant celebration of the company's achievements and milestones.
For some companies, it is a time when accomplishments are highlighted, CEOs share how the company has performed, and employees are heartily applauded for their hard work and dedication.
Drinks flow and a lavish buffet is spread out, setting the stage for a merry-making event. This longstanding tradition of end-of-year celebrations has been a highlight for employees like Peter Mwangi, a seasoned banker, but not this year.
"I have outgrown them over the years," he says. "I have generally gotten tired of the same speeches year in and out. I'd prefer they give me cash," he adds.
"I told my colleagues that I would be chilling in my house. They would have wanted me to be there but, hey..."
However, if he moved to a different company, Mr Mwangi explained that he would attend the end-of-year party to figure out how the company works.
While Mr Mwangi has moved past the appeal of annual celebrations, his fellow banker, Mr John Omondi, cites a different reason for his disenchantment. For him, the chaotic scramble for food and drinks at these events was the final straw.
"I joined the company on November 25, 2013, one month before that year ended. The party held in Kasarani stadium would be my first in the organisation. I expected to enjoy and unwind as I interacted and networked with my colleagues. Our company at that time boasted of around 2,500 employees. So, I expected to meet many colleagues that day," he recalls.
"When the time came for us to be served our luncheon before the rest of the activities, I was shocked by the turn of events. I didn't understand why it was so hard for people to queue in an orderly manner to be served. There was a lot of commotion and disorder that made it hard for the outside caterers to serve.
I was really upset by this behaviour. Also, when it came to serving beverages later in the day, I experienced the same behaviour where people would just try and use force to get their stuff. This upset me and I concluded I would never attend any end-of-year party."
Mr Omondi says that while there are no repercussions for not attending, his perception has not changed ever since that fateful ordeal.
"An end-of-year celebration can be a good way to make employees feel valued but for me, I don't see the value of it," he adds.
Unlike Mr Mwangi and Mr Omondi, Catherine Naisula*, a communications specialist, vowed to never step foot at end-of-year parties after her bosses' drunken behaviour.
"I had just joined the company as an intern in 2021 and luckily, our department was the only one allowed to have an end-of-year party because of our stellar performance. We left for the destination and had a good time, and I got to know some of my colleagues whom I had not interacted with," she says.
"It was such a good evening until liquor was served. Since I'm a teetotaller, I just watched as most of them gobbled down bottles of alcohol and wine. One boss in particular continued wetting his throat until he was unable to move. It was so awkward to be around him especially because he wanted company and could not make coherent statements. I was so embarrassed."
To Ms Naisula, that end-of-year party tainted the whole notion of networking and celebration instead they are just a breeding ground of uncomfortable moments.
