I had the understanding that Christmas Parties were events that were entirely optional. Managerial types are the exception with most expected to attend to save face whilst the rest of us just simply get to pick and choose. This year my intention was to attend. Not because I wanted to, but because I didn’t want to let down my manager, as I hadn’t been able to attend the previous year.
In early November my closest friends surprised me with tickets to attend a theme park on the day of the party. I then knew immediately that this would come first to the Christmas party. I informed the individual who was responsible for the administration that I would not be attending prior to the deadline with no issue whilst my manager had a different reaction.
He asked why I was unable to attend and I simply stated that given a choice between a weekend away with friends and a work Christmas party that this was what I would prefer. My understanding was that attendance or lack there of required no excuse as the party was entirely optional. He then began his little rant about how I had sealed my fate at the company. I had put the nails in my coffin. I was hindering my progress within the company. To insinuate that my presence at a Christmas party will be the be all and end all of my career was ridiculous. I am secure enough in my ability to know that I will progress on my merit and not showing my face at a Christmas party. My manager however is unhappy with his position and has produced very little to be proud of and so maybe in his world showing his face may be his only option of receiving the promotion.
He argued that I needed to learn about creating a better work life balance and that I need to pick wisely between work and leisure. The oddity about this argument is that the Chrishmas party is in itself a form of leisure. Sad and demented as it may be, but leisure none the less. I didn’t choose leisure over work. I choose leisure over leisure. He also hinted to the fact that I arrive at 9am and leave at exactly 5:30pm, my contracted hours was another example of my lack of dedication to a work life balance. That in his view working my contacted hour is not enough. In my view hours worked mean nothing so long as you are productive within those hours. Our numbers are crystal clear. Within the year I have completed 52% of our annual workload, despite the fact that our team throughout the year has consisted of five others. Two of them have left and two are new. Between the 5 of them they have worked a combined 30 months and yet they have completed 48% of our workload. Yet within my 11 months I have completed the other half alone. Every other request we have received has been completed by me. Yet somehow I need to figure out a work life balance. If he comes in work an hour early then what exactly is he doing in those hours. He has served 11 months this year and has completed less than 10% of our workload.
He then stated very directly ‘you are going and you have no choice in the matter’ and when I responded with a simple no and that I disagree he stormed out of the office and refused to speak to me for entire day. Ever since he has behaved like a bully, never ending jabs, making jokes to the new guy about ‘someone getting fired’. The only reason I ever intended to go was to make my manager happy and now I have no reason to ever go after he has behaved like this.