In a decent sized Ukrainian office, there's something to celebrate almost every day
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I enjoy having a few drinks with my colleagues after work. I also enjoy office parties. I find they gives coworkers a chance to connect with each other, which is often impossible during working hours.
However, office parties are events that should happen once in a while – not three times a week. My colleagues seem to celebrate everything from birthdays to new shoes.
Even though office parties are colleague-sponsored events, there is a time and a place for it, and the office is not one of those places – certainly not during business hours.
Businesses in Ukraine don’t seem to recognize that drinking and working do not mix, especially in business climates that demand a high level of performance or involve operating heavy machinery.
The casual nature of office parties causes some to forget the professional relationships they are trying to build. Some mistakenly take the light-hearted atmosphere and free booze as an invitation to “let your hair down.”
Furthermore, too much free-flowing booze with colleagues often leads to unwanted sexual advances and off-color jokes.
There is also a high potential for making embarrassing remarks and then having to face each other the next day. Inappropriate remarks can have a chilling effect on your career.
Hey, I pride myself on being able to “go with the flow.” But there should be a limit to the amount of partying in the office.
In this country of widespread alcoholism, office bashes, which usually start at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., are disturbing to those who are still hard at work, trying to get home to their families at a decent hour.
I am also appalled when colleagues feel free to put out the spread and a makeshift bar on my desk, all the while blasting techno garbage.
So, instead of pulling the plug on parties altogether, it would be best if everyone celebrated a combined birthday party once a month or hit a nearby bar or cafe – not my desk.
– Dana Liss
Office parties have fringe benefits
Office parties once a month? How boring!
I do agree that having a party during working hours is not the most brilliant idea as it often disturbs those who are still working.
However, I don’t mind partying after the working day is over, even if it’s three times a week.
Most people realize that parties are not only an opportunity to enjoy warm toasts and cultivate good relations with our colleagues, but they are also traditional in Ukraine. Not celebrating an event such as a birthday with one’s colleagues is considered bad taste. And this can easily be misinterpreted, as many might feel snubbed.
We spend an enormous amount of our time at work, communicating with our colleagues, discussing office issues. Of course it is relative, but it seems that too little time is left for socializing. So this is where parties come in handy.
I don’t believe the non-formal atmosphere necessarily leads one to make unwanted sexual advances, but rather allows people to socialize with fellow workers more freely, perhaps making a new friend or two.
Of course, boozing everyday can be tiresome, but we must realize that no one forces or pressures anyone to get completely drunk, thus making them feel uncomfortable as they look into the eyes of their colleagues when they walk into the office the next morning.
For those who have a drinking problem, office parties are a great opportunity to learn how to control alcohol intake. And for those who are disturbed by the noise and the constant clinking of bottles in the office, think of it as a way to learn how to stay focused.
– Evgenia Mussuri
Are office bashes in Ukraine too frequent and destructive to the working environment or are they an opportunity for colleagues to get together and blow off some steam from a hard day of work? Let us know what you think by sending a response of no more than 200 words to [email protected]. Best answer wins a lunch for two at Time Out. Answers must be received by Monday, July 9.
