Author Topic: Staff Party - Help me figure this out  (Read 5941 times)

dycker1978

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Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« on: July 16, 2015, 03:56:15 PM »
Hello,

The manager in charge of my department is planning a staff party.  This sounds like a good thing but there is a catch...

With the oil prices falling, and me working for a crown corp, the government in power has put some limits to what can be spent, so anything that we do for an activity, will be out of pocket for the employs.  They are talking a lot of things that seem like they would be a lot of fun but...

One of the big ideas, and likely the one that wins is Golf.  The course that we would goto costs $65 a round.  I do not golf now, so I would need clubs - rental being the option, because no one will lend clubs.  The cost of this is $27.50.  The cart costs $18.50 per person, plus any drinks that may be had.... All and all this is $125+ for something that I really don't even enjoy doing.

Now... the issue.  I do not know how to say I cannot make it.  The manager would take this very personally, and this may hinder my job...  I would not normally spend anywhere near this on a day of fun for me only.  I would have a really hard time spending this much on a day activities for my family.

How do I say no, without jeopardising my future here?

Zamboni

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2015, 04:02:24 PM »
Surely you are not the only one who does not golf.  Suggest an alternate activity for the non-golfing crowd so that everyone has a choice. I worked for one employer that did it that way: party/social hour with everyone, then break into two groups of golf/not golf. One year the non-golfer went canoeing, another year they went to a go cart track. You get the idea.

Kiwi Mustache

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2015, 04:02:34 PM »
Say you hate golf. Still go, perhaps drive the cart for the others and pay nothing and don't play a round yourself.


Zamboni

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2015, 04:05:05 PM »
^That's another good idea. Say you are terrible and you are seriously worried that you will slow the group down. Suggest that you be the "group photographer" instead? That would be kind of fun.

One of my ex-colleagues in sales did that when they went on hunting trips; he would take a nice camera and work on nature photography. Of course, he was the only one who ever saw big bucks, which he would capture on film and it was really funny when the other guys came back to claim him from whatever blind they'd left him in.

Dictionary Time

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2015, 04:11:14 PM »
Maybe your back is sore and you can't golf?

I like the photographer idea, though. Then you would be contributing to the occasion.

AZDude

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2015, 04:23:10 PM »
This is strange. Usually in this situation the manager, who makes more than anyone else, pays for everyone. Its obviously not a mandatory event, so just say you have other plans. Usually people fear some kind of horrible reaction from a boss over the most trivial of shit, when in reality the boss probably barely knows your name.

Retire-Canada

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #6 on: July 16, 2015, 04:52:51 PM »
Bad take out the night before. You were up all night puking into the toilet.

RunHappy

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #7 on: July 16, 2015, 05:01:36 PM »
volunteer to drive the beer cart.  Seriously.

I'm a red panda

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #8 on: July 16, 2015, 05:11:28 PM »
Does this take part on a work day? If not, just say you are unavailable due to previous engagement. Plan a dinner party if you need to :)

Otherwise, I'd say you don't play golf and offer to ride along as company. (Which is SO boring, but I've done it.)

Paul der Krake

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #9 on: July 16, 2015, 05:38:12 PM »
That's some expensive golf outing. Around here, a round on a more tha decent course is about $25 (less if you get a weekday deal), and that includes the cart.

Besides, golf is not great for fostering a team spirit: many people lose their temper, and you get to talk to a maximum of 3 people for 3-4 hours.

Pass. Tell the manager you have a family commitment or something.

tthree

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #10 on: July 16, 2015, 06:34:09 PM »
I'm going out on a limb and guessing the boss wants to do a round at Deer Valley.  If so could all the non-golf people, just hike at Wascana Trails during the round, and you meet up after?


ltt

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #11 on: July 16, 2015, 08:30:22 PM »
Gosh, I would not spend $125 to attend a staff party.  I'm sorry, but I think that is a lot of money.

Do you have a sick family member you need to visit??  Relatives that are visiting from out-of-town?

Mrs.LC

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #12 on: July 16, 2015, 10:35:27 PM »
How about being honest and tell the manager that you don't have that kind of money in your entertainment budget to spend on just yourself. You value your family and don't care to be selfish.

Trifle

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #13 on: July 17, 2015, 04:36:23 AM »
I just had this exact situation and I took the "I don't know how to golf and I don't want to slow a team down" route.  It went fine.   I ended up not having to ride along because there were a bunch of us in the same boat and we played cards at the club house. It was fun.  You could even volunteer to organize the cards.  You might be surprised how many people would go for that over the golf.
« Last Edit: July 17, 2015, 04:50:24 AM by Trifele »

dycker1978

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #14 on: July 17, 2015, 08:02:38 AM »
I'm going out on a limb and guessing the boss wants to do a round at Deer Valley.  If so could all the non-golf people, just hike at Wascana Trails during the round, and you meet up after?

Ah a local person... Yes that is the talk.  I like the Wascana Trail route

Jouer

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #15 on: July 17, 2015, 12:15:56 PM »
I second (third? fourth?) the idea of volunteering to help with the outing. Taking photographs is a great idea. So is offering to judge a closest to the pin contest on a par-3. Grab a co-worker, two lawn chairs, and measure some drives. Bonus: you get to chat up every group that comes through your hole so you actually get a broader networking opportunity than if you were a member of a 4-some. Since there is no budget for prizes, closest to the pin gets to park in the boss' space for a week.

jda1984

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Re: Staff Party - Help me figure this out
« Reply #16 on: July 17, 2015, 12:40:56 PM »
I second (third? fourth?) the idea of volunteering to help with the outing. Taking photographs is a great idea. So is offering to judge a closest to the pin contest on a par-3. Grab a co-worker, two lawn chairs, and measure some drives. Bonus: you get to chat up every group that comes through your hole so you actually get a broader networking opportunity than if you were a member of a 4-some. Since there is no budget for prizes, closest to the pin gets to park in the boss' space for a week.

This sounds like a great solution!  Great suggestion Jouer!