Parties!

I am student and I am doing a project on social situation in HR. Do you have any ideas that I could do my project on? I was thinking about presenting information on Christmas and Halloween parties at work. Thanks for your help!

Since the semester is now undoubtedly over, and you had to do your own darn homework (see how evil I am?) I'll respond to your question.

Work is work. Social life is social life. Don't confuse the two. You are at a work party? Party on, dude, right? No. You are still at work. Work=work. You are hanging out with friends and your boss happens to be at the same restaurant. You now must be on work behavior.

I am such a party pooper. (It's genetic, by the way. When my siblings and I complained to my grandmother that my father didn't understand the teenage need to do fun stuff my grandmother said, rather matter-of-factly, "your father was never a teenager." I have now turned into him, except for his insane desire to get up at 5:00 a.m. What is up with that?)

When I'm queen of the universe, work parties will occur during lunch. Free food (good food, please) and no alcohol will be served. See, party pooper? (Full disclosure--I don't drink anyway, so I don't feel slighted in such situations.)

When a company sponsors an event, liability attaches. You serve alcohol and you better make sure people have a way home that doesn't involve driving their drunken selves.

Employees (especially the non-management types) feel obligated to attend company parties, regardless of whether they want to or not. This makes it another "work" function. Even if you invite spouses/significant others to make it a real "party, all that means is that now your employees have to find a babysitter, pay a babysitter and spend an evening with people they see all day anyway.

Okay, so I don't like office parties. Other people do. I'm happy to hear their opinions. Just don't make me come to your office parties.

Halloween costumes? Sure. I'm all for them. During the day. Depending on your business.