Reply to: Are you going to a clients Christmas Party?

[Moscow Mule]

Xmas? Too early man!! We still haven’t had Halloween or Guy Fawkes bonfire night..…

Anyone planning bonfire party/fireworks

It's never too early to organise a party!!!!!

Meribel @ New Year already booked.

[TheFaQQer]

Going to the Christmas party of a client where you're currently working on site is no fun at all. All week before the party they're talking about last year's party; all the time during the party they're getting hammered and moaning about work and sucking up to the bosses; and all the following week they're yakking about who did what at the party. Plus you have to be on best behaviour.
But going to any other client's party is OK. You just breeze in, catch up with your mates, generally make everybody jealous that you don't work there any more, and can really do what you like without having everybody obsess about it.

Seconded. Trying to angle an invite from last year's company...

[Bagpuss]

Anyone planning bonfire party/fireworks

Yes the chav kids will be having one nightly throughout October and November

[SandyDown]

Xmas? Too early man!! We still haven’t had Halloween or Guy Fawkes bonfire night..…

Anyone planning bonfire party/fireworks

[thunderlizard]

Going to the Christmas party of a client where you're currently working on site is no fun at all. All week before the party they're talking about last year's party; all the time during the party they're getting hammered and moaning about work and sucking up to the bosses; and all the following week they're yakking about who did what at the party. Plus you have to be on best behaviour.
But going to any other client's party is OK. You just breeze in, catch up with your mates, generally make everybody jealous that you don't work there any more, and can really do what you like without having everybody obsess about it.

[Bagpuss]

Seems more and more common now that contractors are not invited (employee perk and all that). Mind you on my last contract we were invited to a modest do, and the boss let us bill for the whole day despite starting on the shandies at 1pm. This year I have a feeling will be a washout, they are all very clean living here

[Moscow Mule]

Instead of going, you could just slope off home, hope they get too ratted to miss you, and still charge them for the afternoon...

Or you could engage with your clients?

[TheFaQQer]

Instead of going, you could just slope off home, hope they get too ratted to miss you, and still charge them for the afternoon...

[Bluebird]

I'm going to a client lunchtime bash - and charging them for it.

[Moscow Mule]

Yes, and I shall be going to as many agency & old work sites dos as possible.

And once the important business of finding out where the next twelve months work is coming from, I shall set about drowning my liver in Champagne.

[xoggoth]

Not to say the stinking IR do not cite anything but I cannot really imagine why any sane court would take going to an xmas party as an indicator to employment. Back when I was an employee and on the customer's site I got invited to things, it did not make me switch employers. Just common courtesy really.

[Fran]

I always stop work before the Christmas party season really starts, so not really an issue for me.

How long do you have to contract before that's possible!!!

Sounds perfect!

[TheFaQQer]

I always stop work before the Christmas party season really starts, so not really an issue for me.

When I was last permie, I did push to invite the technical contractors to the company do, since the management had invited some of the contractors but not my team. Only one came as the others were (genuinely!) busy, but it was more a principle thing that either invite them all or none of them, not just a couple.

[Not So Wise]

No company event, so no issue there

There is a Department level event, but as there are no decent women in the department be damned if i will go

[TheFaQQer]

Any chance I can put the hotel through as a valid expense ???

Yes, but it's a benefit in kind to the employee, so no point.