Can Employees be Required to Go to an After Hours Christmas Party

Hello. I work for a company in Washington state. The CEO informed us at work last week that if we don't not attend this year's after hours, weekend, non pay Christmas party, that we may as well "pack our shit". My question is, can they legally force their employers to go to a work function that we are not being paid for? We apparently have to wear suits and dresses, which my husband and I do not have the money for. I am pregnant also, and do not want to go to a Christmas party. I can't see how you can threaten your employees into going.

Employers have the legal right to force employees to attend functions outside of working hours, and to expect the employees to dress appropriately at those functions. If the employees are non-exempt, they must be paid for every hour they attend the function. If the employees are exempt, their employers are not legally required to pay them any extra money, but can still require their attendance at the function. Whether or not the employees are pregnant is irrelevant as far as the law is concerned.

Quote:

---

Quoting eerelations

---

Employers have the legal right to force employees to attend functions outside of working hours, and to expect the employees to dress appropriately at those functions. If the employees are non-exempt, they must be paid for every hour they attend the function. If the employees are exempt, their employers are not legally required to pay them any extra money, but can still require their attendance at the function. Whether or not the employees are pregnant is irrelevant as far as the law is concerned.

---

Okay, thank you for the reply.

Quote:

---

Quoting Willy182

---

Hello. I work for a company in Washington state. The CEO informed us at work last week that if we don't not attend this year's after hours, weekend, non pay Christmas party, that we may as well "pack our shit". My question is, can they legally force their employers to go to a work function that we are not being paid for? We apparently have to wear suits and dresses, which my husband and I do not have the money for. I am pregnant also, and do not want to go to a Christmas party. I can't see how you can threaten your employees into going.

---

If you and your husband want to bow and scrape to your almighty employer, that's on you.

My advice: the job isn't worth having if you work for an ahole.

If you happen to grow a spine between now and then, don't make an issue of it, just don't show up if you don't want to go.

If you get fired, you go on unemployment and look for another job.

I would hope that other employees would have the stones to not take that kind of crap. If several people feel the same way and don't show up, I doubt if the ahole will fire everybody (though he would certainly have the right). It'll cost him a bunch of money in unemployment surcharges to his account.

And once again, AJ is advocating life-changing actions when he won't be the one who has to suffer the consequences.

Quote:

---

Quoting cbg

---

And once again, AJ is advocating life-changing actions when he won't be the one who has to suffer the consequences.

---

Advocating, yes, as usual.

But it's OP's choice.

One can only hope that employers reap the consequences once in a while.

Quote:

---

Quoting adjusterjack

---

Advocating, yes, as usual.

But it's OP's choice.

One can only hope that employers reap the consequences once in a while.

---

One can only hope you don’t convince somebody to piss off their boss based on what you hope will happen.

As an exempt HR professional I was always expected to attend the company Christmas party and other offsite, out-of-hours functions. I might not have been fired for not attending once or twice (although I could have been), but there still would have been some serious negative consequences. There are some things you just gotta do to keep your job.

Before the end of the season I will have attended the all-HR party, the-fourth-floor-of-our-building-party, and the just-my-team party. None of them are mandatory and I will not be fired for not attending any of them. (The floor party will be held during work time, though.)

However, if I do not attend the first party, it will be noticed. It will be remembered when promotions are being handed out, or when the plum new assignments or projects that look good on the resume are being handed out. It's not even impossible that interest in such promotions or assignments might be discussed at the party and a mental list made of who was interested. It's a good place to get noticed by the higher-ups as a team player, and also a good way for your absence to be noticed as not-a-team-player. As long as I show up for an hour or two and make sure the VP of HR sees me there, I'm good for another year. It's once a year and not even all that long for something that can benefit you in the long run.

Quote:

---

Quoting cbg

---

Before the end of the season I will have attended the all-HR party, the-fourth-floor-of-our-building-party, and the just-my-team party. None of them are mandatory and I will not be fired for not attending any of them. (The floor party will be held during work time, though.)

However, if I do not attend the first party, it will be noticed. It will be remembered when promotions are being handed out, or when the plum new assignments or projects that look good on the resume are being handed out. It's not even impossible that interest in such promotions or assignments might be discussed at the party and a mental list made of who was interested. It's a good place to get noticed by the higher-ups as a team player, and also a good way for your absence to be noticed as not-a-team-player. As long as I show up for an hour or two and make sure the VP of HR sees me there, I'm good for another year. It's once a year and not even all that long for something that can benefit you in the long run.

---

I thoroughly agree with you but I can also understand why someone who is pregnant might not want or feel able to attend an after hours event and I can REALLY understand why someone who is living paycheck to paycheck might have a problem with attending an event which would require them to purchase different, possibly expensive for them, clothing.

My suggestion as far as the clothing is concerned is to try their area Goodwill Store. As far as the event is concerned I would suggest showing up for just long enough to say hi to the CEO, and their own supervisor.