Being a woman in a male-dominated field can be tough in more ways than one. For thisRedditor, it meant being expected to single-handedly plan theoffice Christmas party—because apparently, that’s not a man’s job.

Tired of taking on the thankless role, she decided to say no this year. But with no one else willing to take charge, the entire celebration fell apart before it even began.

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As a woman in an office full of men, she was expected to single-handedly plan the work Christmas party

Office Christmas party with people in festive accessories, exchanging gifts and holding drinks around a decorated table.

Image credits: Yunus Tuğ (not the actual photo)

But when she said no, the entire celebration fell apart before it even began

Woman in yellow sweater sitting on couch, looking stressed, related to an office Christmas party situation.

Image credits:Getty Images (not the actual photo)

Image source:ninjaprincessrocket

63% of workers have regrets about their behavior at company holiday parties

Office Christmas Party Crumbles As Men Refuse To Step Up After Woman Says No

Image credits:Andrej Lišakov (not the actual photo)

For nearly a third of workers (31%), drinking too much tops the list of regrets, tied with speaking negatively about their workplace. Other slip-ups include making inappropriate jokes (28%) and flirting with coworkers (26%). Surprisingly, over 15% confessed to getting into a verbal or physical confrontation during a work-sponsored holiday party.

Despite the time and resources put into these events, many employees would rather skip them altogether—the survey revealed that 67% would prefer a bonus or extra time off over a holiday party. However, 70% still feel pressured to attend. Even worse, more than one in three employees have felt obligated to drink alcohol at these gatherings.

Obviously, whatever companies are trying to achieve with holiday parties isn’t working. In today’s world, employees value fair pay and a positive work culture far more than forced celebrations. Writer Laura Bogart summed it up perfectly in her Refinery29 op-ed,Unpopular Opinion: I Hate Office Holiday Parties:

“It’s clear that we don’t want ‘healing and wellness mini-retreats,’ game nights, or dance parties,” she says. “We want to be challenged to do our best work and encouraged to innovate; we want to feel like our opinions matter and—most important—we want better, fairer wages. None of these things can be put on a Secret Santa list.”

In the replies, the woman explained why the men hadn’t even bothered to wrap the presents

Reddit comments discussing an office Christmas party, focusing on issues with gift wrapping roles.

Many readers chimed in with similar experiences

Text exchange discussing men not stepping up for planning the office Christmas party.

Office Christmas party drama unfolds as men avoid cleaning duties after a woman’s objection.

Reddit comments discussing office party planning challenges, lack of recognition, and burnout.

Text discussing office dynamics, highlighting gender roles and cleaning responsibilities in a workplace kitchen.

Text discussing assumptions about women and party planning roles in workplace settings.

Text describing a person refusing to organize office parties, expressing frustration.

Text post about a halted Secret Santa in tech, highlighting men not stepping up after women declined participation.

While others praised her for standing up for herself

Comments discussing gender roles and unpaid labor at an office Christmas party.

Comments discussing gender roles in office Christmas party planning with emphasis on egalitarian setup.

Reddit user comments about dissatisfaction with mandatory office Christmas parties.

Reddit conversation about a failed office Christmas party after a woman’s refusal to organize it.

Reddit discussion about women and office Christmas party planning, highlighting leadership and gender roles.

Text screenshot about women saying no to unseen labor during office Christmas party.

Text discussing the undervaluation of “women’s work” in an office setting where roles are traditionally defined.

Reddit comment discussing gender roles in work during holidays at an office Christmas party.

Text discusses Christmas party issues and highlights gender roles leading to dissatisfaction.

Comment discussing the mental load women face during office Christmas party planning.

Text post about refusing gender roles at family gatherings, highlighting imbalance in responsibilities.

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