Business Owner Question

[LaughingCat]

We held our annual holiday party last night. In the past, we would go to a restaurant and have a nice meal with drinks. This year, my wife and I decided to host at our house. We had a catered event with great food and drinks.

Normally, I am very professional with my 'team members". However, I like to be more casual at these parties. I am curious how the rest of the SOS business owners treat their employees when away from the office. My wife says I should remain completely professional, not drink and remember that I am being judged and criticized at the water cooler, so don't show any signs of 'weakness'. I have 7 employees and feel that the environment is different then say, the movie Office Space.

Someone chime in and let me know if I my wife is correct or I am.

And note, I do not get inappropriate with my team.

 

[DonziGirl]

I work for a company that has 5 people total. We went out for a nice dinner last year and had a couple of drinks. My boss had a couple of glasses of wine and no one thought anything of it. We talked about every but work related things for the most part. I'd say as long as you don't get falling down drunk you're fine Even then I would have thought it was funny to see the owner of my company that way!

 

[phragle]

with only 7 emp. is it more of a family buisness atmosphere? that would be the determining factor I would think also whats your relationship with the guys normally like, are you the 'BOSS' or do you have 7 good guys and your more just the fearless leader??

 

[LaughingCat]

I am definitely the boss. It is a friendly, non hostile atmosphere. Treat the clients and employees with respect, but I am definitely the leader.

i consider too much to drink when you are sloppy drunk. Have three drinks to me is like having a snack before a feast. However, I am light-spirited after three drinks compared to the workplace environment. My wife may disagree with my 'three drink' guideline.

 

[cigdaze]

It's okay to show some humility every now and again, imo. I can appreciate a boss being "normal" at an event like a Christmas party; nothing at all wrong with loosening up a bit outside of the office.

 

[Davidmnc]

Don't over think it. If you have a couple drinks with them, and don't get carried away. The water cooler talk will be positive. On the other hand. If you get chit faced they will loose respect. IMHO

 

[cigdaze]

I'd like to comment on the home invite, though. Inviting your staff to your house is probably about the most personal thing that you could have done, you let them in to "your world" and your life outside of the office. If the general atmosphere at your company positive, this will usually come off as a very kind gesture and will be appreciated. On the flip-side, if things aren't going so well at a particular company it can create a lot or resentment and ill feelings - this is especially true of a company where there are both white collar and blue collar workforces in play.

Let me also add an anecdote from my past. I was working for a company and the GM did the same thing, he invited the company to his home for a labor day party. Well, let's just say that he was a bit of a ball-buster, and was generally not well liked by labors. All you heard for weeks out of those guys was things like "can you believe that motherf'er and his house," fvcker has all this money, and he pays us like crap," etc., etc. I don't think it went over too well.

So, it completely depends on your situation and company's spirits.

 

[t500hps]

My father and I had Christmas parties for the employees for years until 2-3 years ago....always a couple that complained so my father got pizzed and said NO MORE....I/we have always felt we had to be rather "professional" but the difference is we employee 140 people. Some of these guys and gals don't really know us well.

Now, we have a house at the river, nothing fancy but it is waterfront. At least 20 of our staff have been to that house at different times for the day and a couple guys have spent the night/weekend going fishing with my father (their boss). These invites are very informal and a beer or 2 is common.....but I drink rarely, usually only a couple times a year when I'm away for the night. My father hasn't been "drunk" in at least 20 years.

Once your become "boss" there is always going to be a day your a M' Fker....do what's right, treat people right, and the few times they think your the bad guy, they'll get over it quickly!!!

 

[RebarBox]

Cigdaze wrote what I was thinking - use caution on inviting to your home. Whatever you do - have a drink, but remember you are the boss and always maintain control around employees.

 

[Mark]

I agree not to invite them to your home. Also agree with your personal 3 drink limit.

 

[Perlmudder]

when i taught snowboarding, my boss use to have the 60-75 instructors over for the xmas party. they always started out good, but there is always that 16 year old that pushes the limit and gets way to drunk and obnoxious. things at his house always got broken, and i have seen him ***** out instructors. he has slowly gotten away from having the house parties. one year he rented coach buses and we went snow tubing but we got kicked out for being to drunk. he bought up all the competition last year and now the company has close to 200 instructors so its not really the same anymore. now he just takes everybody to a basketball game and calls it a day. probably safer that way anyways, and usually one of the other instructors will throw a staff party for everybody.

 

[yesrej]

i would not be into inviting employees to your house. some may take it as, now i know what you make and what you have, and then ask for a raise. but i do feel with only 7 people that should not be a problem. i do feel you should be able to have a few drinks with your workers and not think they would feel differently about you.

 

[Ratickle]

Main issue:

If one of your employees were to get in a serious accident, after having drinks at an officially sponsored company event, the company is responsible just as much as if you had served them at work. The supreme court has ruled on this in a couple of cases. It doesn't even have to be official in your opinion. This is true at a restuarant or your home.

 

[JupiterSunsation]

We held our annual holiday party last night. In the past, we would go to a restaurant and have a nice meal with drinks. This year, my wife and I decided to host at our house. We had a catered event with great food and drinks.

Normally, I am very professional with my 'team members". However, I like to be more casual at these parties. I am curious how the rest of the SOS business owners treat their employees when away from the office. My wife says I should remain completely professional, not drink and remember that I am being judged and criticized at the water cooler, so don't show any signs of 'weakness'. I have 7 employees and feel that the environment is different then say, the movie Office Space.

Someone chime in and let me know if I my wife is correct or I am.

And note, I do not get inappropriate with my team.

What............No Michael Bolton, Ohhhh face, Conjugal Visits?

Doesn't sound fun to work for you!


I would pick a spot midway between your wife's perspective and your own....
Casual cool is ok but "frank the tank/ Old School movie maybe too casual and make you look stupid......

 

[Bobcat]

listen these people do not respect you anyway so have a good time, first you are going to need to rent a car,pony up for the extra insurance, because at one time in the evening you are going to set it on fire, invite some homeless people in,so no matter what you do they will make you seem normal(make sure you get a babbler, the garden variety bum will not cut it in this situation) apologize to the neighbors ahead of time. it is ok to sh*t your pants as long as you are awake while doing so(sleeping on the recliner or kitchen floor is gauche) film everything,

good luck, we are all counting on you

 

[MarylandMark]

Post 7 is good info.

Would you be friends with these people if they didn't work for you? Say you met them at the club house- would they be people you would have dinner with or go to the ballgame with? Most of the time the answer is no- your common denominator is work. Keep it that way...

Holiday Lunches are the answer:

- no spouses
- definded end time since have to go back to work or time to get off for the day
- no scheduling issues and/or no shows since they are already at work
- nobody waredrobe issues. As cool as it would be to see Susie from accounting in a skimpy slut dress it could lead to problems down the road.
- no booze or have at the end of the day (1/2 day of work?) so only 1-3 drinks. If someone gets tanked at 1PM that may be good info to know anyway.

What happens away from work has more of an impact on what happens at work than what happens at work does.

ps- nothing wrong with getting tanked at 1PM but I want to be with friends if I do; not co-workers.

 

[Offshoredrillin]

I've always found that I cant please everyone. I wouldn't have it at my house as pointed out earlier, you will get the ones that count your money. Every business owner I have talked too says the same thing. For me it is always easier to have it at a restaurant, then they are responsible for what happens. Each year in Vegas after the SEMA show, we take employees and clients out. I'm not bitter, but I really dislike the ones that will start saying look what he has, and the whole time they have no concept of what it takes to make sure they get paid weekly.

 

[Ms PatriYacht]

To me the type of party and where it is held depends on the work group, if the group is small and all professional then a home party should be fine. If it is a large company of diverse workers from blue collar to professionals I think a catered lunch with an early quit time is the best. This can also be done on a few different days if the company is to large to shut down on a single afternoon. I also think that if you are the boss and you normally drink, and there is drinking at the party you should have two or three, if you don't have any you will be seen as a stuffed shirt. I have been to a lot of holiday Christmas parties and they all pretty much stink, a lot of forced talk between your boss and the spouses, oddly dressed people, young workers that are not used to going out to a nice place and get trashed. I have enough holiday parties to go to with friends or family that unless it was a small company where we were all close I would not want to make the time in the evening to be somewhat forced to attend a corporate party. At the last company I worked for you were pretty much blacklisted by the boss if you did not show up.

Also there is so much talk about bonuses and with money tight I always thought if I owned a company that as a bonus I would give each employee a day off of their choosing between thanksgiving and New Year's as their bonus. So many people have a lot to do to get ready for the holidays so it would be nice to be given a day off to Christmas shop, decorate, bake, or just sleep in.

 

[Joe]

very broad topic.... here's my short answer:

give them "certainty".... in what ever form you choose... and make sure that it not only models your company's values.... but also yours. Authenticity is key, and will always carry the day --- as long as you have the right team --- meaning, sometimes, these events lend you to see what "cancer(s)" you may or may not have, that can be well masked during the typical day-to-day office routines etc...

if all else fails... get'em rip roaring drunk and then see how they behave!!!! LOL......

we also send email memo's to the entire staff the day prior to any social event --- regardless of whether we are providing alcohol or not, stating the company will not only pick up a cab ride for anyone etc... but will also pay for a second cab ride the following day for them to go back and get their vehicle.

i usually stay away from limo's as "trouble" is too easily found during the rides etc...


All the best,

Joe

PS: we were #4 "best places to work" (in the state of texas), #2 "best places to work in Houston", member of Inc. 500's fastest growing companies, largest employer in our industry.... and sold last year with a multiple of 1.5x more than our industry average.

hope that helps!

 

[old377guy]

as Maryland Mark said - post #7 says it all