I sit in a corner and leave as soon as I can.

I don't eat meat. It was expected of me to attend the monthly BBQ's. And I should get my own burgers. It was so nice that single time when they all made fun of me for being a pussy for not wanting to eat meat. Yeah, so nice. Socializing meant being a laughing stock for drunk colleagues. I told my boss, supported with properly constructed arguments, I won't attend any more or I'll leave completely, if this BBQ is so important to him. It was never an issue after that and he actually started to like me for standing my ground out of principles and standing up against the poor behavior of some of my colleagues.

I'm an introvert: it's always someone's Birthday that I have to go to or there are always urgent errands that need running.

If you're making me go. Then you better be paying me.

I honestly won't socialize as much as I should if left to my own devices so I always try to go to those things. It's hard enough to make friends as an adult without third places. I never want to go the night of, but I force myself and usually don't regret it afterward. You're stuck with these people for 40 hours a week, might as well make at least a friend or two. Shit, I met my current DnD group at my last job

I really look forward to work social events. I've gotten extremely close with several of my coworkers, and several of my coworkers are friends that I've had from past jobs or college. The work organized events are nice because work is paying for the food and drink, but on my own volition, I went hiking with coworkers and an ex co-worker on Friday, went to two of my coworkers' house on Saturday for their dog's birthday party (and to hang out with current and ex coworkers), and then today helped two of my coworkers move.

But I'm at a place that at least in the past really tried to prioritize hiring good people whom everyone would want to work with.

why would they even do these anymore? ostensibly its for team building and to some degree employee retention, but theyre just going to keep laying people off so why bother.

Forced?
What, by gunpoint?
Repeat after me: "Ah, FUCK no!"

I'm a mechanic. Fuck that shit, I get wasted at home.

Lol, lmao even. Unless I'm gettingt paid overtime, I'm not doing to any "team happy hour" or other kind of forced work socialization. No company is going to decide how I spend my free time. Thank fuck I live in a country with decent enforceable work laws that protect us.

Look, I'm not complaining about free fod and an open bar. HR might complain about me, though that sounds like future me's problem.

Well the rented sauna and free food is usually nice. The socializing part is the "price" to pay lol

Though now we're working on building our own sauna in the yard, so the prospect of work events gets less enticing =w=

Depends on the event. I went to one at Dave and busters given a card for 50 dollars, 2 free drink tickets and told go wild. Went to another where we just sat around a table with decent food. Nothing to do but small talk and all conversations eventually degraded to work talk. First one I'd do again, second I'd skip.

Depends, usually my workplace does organize 2 yearly events. 1 for Christmas and 1 for summer. Both have huge amounts of alcohol available so at least it's possible to make those tolerable.

Christmas one comes with a lottery and some decent prizes as well, though have to wear a suit there.

Summer one usually has a sauna and is on a bigger area so not that bad actually.

Anything else is kinda unacceptable.

I know my coworkers were trying to be nice, but this was me last week at our offsite. I wanted the evening at the hotel room. Worse was that I don’t care to drink anymore and one of the guys was heavy on getting me to drink because he’s an alcoholic.