So...unprofessional much?
 

Last night I had been fortunate enough to attend my ambulance company's holiday party. While I have been employed there for 3.5 years, this was the first party I could attend due to the timing being perfect (ie not when I was on vacation already). Now, this was also my first holiday party ever, so perhaps my party etiquette is incorrect and if so then please correct me.

The party was held at Dave and Buster's in the billiards room. Everyone was having a great time playing pool and generally enjoying themselves being in non-uniform clothes and without the bosses being up our asses about work. As with parties past apparently, beer, wine and soda were free along with the food. If one wanted liquor, they could purchase it from the bar until a certain hour. Now, here's the part where I get a bit confused.

Everyone is enjoying themselves, but everyone is also being very polite and not drinking enough to get drunk since the bosses were indeed there and really, who wants to be the one to throw up on the owner's shoes? I myself only had one beer and then a celebratory shot some two hours later as I had to drive and didn't want to make a fool out of myself.

This was all fine and good except for one person. Now, she is one of the most respected paramedics at our company. She works two jobs to keep her family afloat and puts in some hard hours. She shows up to the party and goes to town at the free booze. Before you know it she's trashed and using the pool tables as some kind of modeling catwalk, spreading her legs in suggestive poses for people to photograph. She was also hanging off of every male employee she could find, letting them hug her (suggestively) and smack her ass. The bosses eventually had to make sure she would have a ride home since she was in no condition to drive, especially with her being absolutely wasted around them.

Now, maybe I'm just being naive, but is this something that happens often at holiday parties? I mean, I realize that free booze= yay, but it's a company party, why would you make an ass of yourself like that?

So yea, thoughts? Comments? Have any fun holiday party stories to share?

Sounds like she just needed to release her inner ho.

:P Hope she enjoyed it because the repercussions are gonna haunt her for awhile.

Acting stupid is what company christmas parties are for, atleast in Finland.

EDIT: The way I see it, everyone is tired of being "professional" all the time.

Sounds like she was just wound really tight and let herself go a little further than she maybe should have. I know we've had similar folks at unofficial 'company parties' when I had a job still. It's not normal, persay, but it's not exactly abnormal, either.

While I wouldn't say it's entirely acceptable it's pretty clear she would have some serious stress to relieve and a holiday party with free Beer sounds about perfect for that.

Long as nobody got hurt (Emotionally or physically) Whats the harm?

Yeah, she was pretty out of line with that. I mean, it happens, but it shouldn't. That's really going to hurt her reputation.

Every company holiday party (Christmas especially) story I've ever heard is full of stories like this and much worse. At this point it's a cliche. Just mention "company Christmas party" and you get "wink wink nudge nudge say no more" responses.

Yeah this is tame honestly.

This sounds really tame I mean, if thats the worst that happened at your christmas party then you guys are lucky. Ours had a couple of the females actually striped, and 2 people got caught having sex in the janitor closet. Not only that at least 75% of the people are drunk by 10pm. Even half our bosses were tanked. One even passed out under the table.

It's fun when the bosses are as drunk at company parties as the rest of the empolyees.