Christmas Do's - or lack of them

[Bridget]

My partner and I are self employed (in different lines of work) so our do is usually a train trip to Nottingham and some drinks. It usually only lasts a couple of hours cos as we don’t normally drink we’re tipsy after a couple of ciders! It’s been like that for about 8 years, other companies I worked for before that always had parties, the best one was a law firm in London and we all went to the Waldorf. I have been invited to Elstree Studios by my main client for Christmas party but have something else on that evening.

[bighal]

I do believe there used to be different tax rules regarding staff parties which has changed over the years and hence why the number of company paid do's have declined over recent years.

[anna68]

I’m public sector so nothing. I try and pay for a lunch or at least drinks for my team.

About ten years ago my husband worked for a small IT company and they flew employees plus partners to Nice for the weekend with hotels and full on meal and drinks one night. Now that’s a Xmas party!

[Rding]

We had ours Friday night. This year it was a straight forward pub crawl and Im dreading looking at my card balance . I managed to make it till 2am then bailed with a subway and an Uber. I'm one of the owners I employ 25 electricians and I take them out and don't expect them to pay for anything. They work hard all year sometimes working really unsociable hours. I know they get paid well but it's just a way of saying thanks and having a laugh at the same time.

[disney_l81]

Ours was Friday night, only just starting to feel human again...All paid for by the firm, free bar. Great night had by all.

[cornishfrogboy]

I am 58. Through Army, Police, and now NHS, I have never had a drink, yet alone a Christmas do or Christmas bonus paid for by any employer. I feel undervalued.
(Lol).🤗

[Princesa]

I work in a school so we pay for and organise our own do amongst our department, there isn’t a whole school one. My husband has just moved to a big firm and I thought his may have been paid for, but it wasn’t. We’re also up in Cumbria

[Bluefish]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

I am 58. Through Army, Police, and now NHS, I have never had a drink, yet alone a Christmas do or Christmas bonus paid for by any employer. I feel undervalued.

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Baring in mind all of your jobs were/are funded by the public why should the tax payer pay you an added monetary bonus for doing your job or pay for you to go on a night out?

[judy22]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

I am 58. Through Army, Police, and now NHS, I have never had a drink, yet alone a Christmas do or Christmas bonus paid for by any employer. I feel undervalued.

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It’s like me (I work in a school) and we are funded by tax payers. Wouldn’t look good if we were seen to take money out of school budget for a Xmas do. We organise an eve out and everyone pays their share.

[Guest]

We have a company funded one with plus ones which I hear is good but have never gone. We have 2 sites and it's mostly the other site that bothers. We also have a departmental one that I think the boss pays for. For some reason my work also paid for a private panto to be put on for employees kids?!

This is actually more generous than my past job in the big 4, where one was paid for with no plus ones, and the department one was self funded. Although with them there was also a ball during the year so it evens out.

The tax rules are that anything over £150 spent per employee (including their plus one) counts as taxable benefits so the company would either have to add it to payroll and employees would be taxed (rare I'd imagine!) or pay the tax themselves, which is in itself a benefit so the number would have to be grossed up. So technically employers could spend as much as they wanted, it just starts getting pretty pricy in tax above £150 a head.