Company charges employees $25 per person to attend office holiday party: 'I wonder if they are making a profit and where it goes?'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Dec 13, 2025 10:00 PM EST

This employee wanted to support their company and join in the festivities around the holidays, but a problem arose when they saw a price tag on the experience. It's that time of year when holiday party invitations seem to fall out of the sky. Everybody's trying to squeeze in moments with their loved ones before they travel for the holidays. Everyone wants their chance to host a special holiday event. And one of these events is likely hosted by your company. If there's one time of year when offices have parties, it's usually around now. And maybe you always look forward to yours. It's a great time to unwind and debrief with your employees when you're not stressed about work. Plus, it usually comes with some freebies like drinks or food. 

This is the generally agreed-upon deal with office holiday parties. Employees might bristle at having to perform a work obligation outside of work hours, but the company makes up for it with the promise of a good time and some complementary refreshments. Or else, how would you get anybody in the door? Well, one company pushed the limits of the concept of the office party and started charging their employees to attend. 

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  • Office workers sit at their desks in party hats and streamers on the wall.
    via Unsplash+ (Yunus Tuğ)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • The problem was, predictably, that this made employees reluctant to spend their hard-earned cash on plans that they didn't organize themselves. And people had a lot to say about whether or not they would attend this kind of event. Scroll on to read all the details and see what folks have to say.

  • Would you go to your holiday party if it required an admission cost?

    I am unsure if this is the right flair, but here we go... A company that I used to work for has an annual holiday party, but the admission was USD 25, and if one wanted to bring a guest, it is also USD 25 as well.
    via u/goldeneye0
  • Needless to say, I didn't go to any of those holiday parties for the 3-4 years I was with this company (basically, remembering the old "Laverne and Shirley" quote - "Admission: 20 dollars per person. That's English for we ain't going") and mind you, I really didn't buy in to that company at all for other reasons as well.
    via u/goldeneye0
  • Even if the party was on a Saturday night, but for some point, I had been on duty Saturday morning to mid-afternoon, which dampened my enthusiasm and would have left myself with insufficient turnaround time. I should also state that this company is a hospital, but this is the one and only company I've been involved with that has actually charged an admission fee for the holiday party.
    via u/goldeneye0
  • Has anyone else ever dealt with an admission fee to go to your own company's holiday party and were there consequences for not going?
    via u/goldeneye0

  • Commenters weighed in with their thoughts.

    bstrauss3 · 3d ago Nothing quite says cheap like charging for the holiday party. I wonder if they are making a profit and where it goes?
    via u/bstrauss3
  • goldeneye0 OP · 3d ago • Honestly, there were prizes (a few quite substantial), but I suspect did they make a profit, remember it was USD 25 per. Also, I only received a single small raise (that was pre-COVID) during my time there and I worked throught the height of COVID as well before I left that company.
    via u/goldeneye0
  • A group of office workers sit in a conference room in holiday attire.
    via Unsplash+ (Yunus Tuğ)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • aminor321 3d ago • My company just decided to do without a holiday party this year, but didn't tell anyone or announce it. I had to find out by asking management after I had already purchased a new outfit to wear to it. I just wished someone had had the balls to announce it.
    via u/aminor321
  • StrategyAncient6770 Absolutely not.
    via u/StrategyAncient6770
  • Wyshunu 3d ago It would depend on whether that admission fee was a fundraiser for a charity, or not.
    via u/Wyshunu
  • SquirrelWatchin . 3d ago I have never been known for attending these things when they are free. I see those people enough each week. I am NEVER paying to attend one. I rose to director in spite of this. I did however used to work for someone, who kept score of who came and didn't, and he verbalized to me that he didn't like me skipping it. Did it impact me, I don't know but I still never went.
    via u/SquirrelWatchin
  • Exciting Problem_... 3d ago I just recently started working at a new place. They want $50 a person for a dinner at a local restaurant. Nope!! Never have I ever had to pay for a holiday party. I looked at the list and only 12 people are going.
    via u/Exciting_Problem_593
  • Odd-Set3480 . 3d ago Haven't seen one where there was an admission fee, but have skipped several for different reasons ranging from "feeling sick" to "plans with family" to "just don't want to go". Never had any repercussions for that, nor know of anyone in my field that had any.
    via u/Odd-Set3480
  • From what I've seen, if you go it can be positive if there's nice interactions with superiors, mostly neutral, or trully awful (I've seen my share of drunken idiots thinking a party organized by the company was like going out on a random day and act like it... Fights, lack of control, drugs, etc)
    via u/Odd-Set3480
  • Even when there where some team building type events that did have a entry fee (like go-karts we had to pay for) not going for the reason of "I'm a bit short this month and can't swing it" got a "fair enough keep on" response All that said, I'm actually curious about other experiences because it may change a lot depending on culture (both company and location), type of company etc
    via u/Odd-Set3480
  • No-Marsupial-7385 • 3d ago Yes. I worked for a not-for- profit and they charged for the meal at the Christmas party.
    via u/No-Marsupial-7385
  • hisimpendingbaldn... . 3d ago Generally if you work for a city or state agency the state does not pay for your office parties. If you go out to a place the group has to pay for it themselves, therefore asking for money for the party is fairly typical. Often they will take a conference room and have a pot luck during the workday. That would be free.
    via u/hisimpendingbaldness
  • LumberSniffer • 3d ago Never. Im already annoyed we have to pay for drinks for ours. But I previously worked in one industry where an open bar at boring trendy places was standard and another industry where the owners and higher ups would be doing coke on the dais.
    via u/LumberSniffer
  • Stealth_Berserker • 3d ago Lol I barely want to go to my current one and it's free plus you just go home for the rest of the day.
    via u/Stealth_Berserker
  • Valuable_Bluebird3... . 3d ago Is this a publicly funded hospital? It might be against the law for them to throw a free party. You should ask. $25 per person isn't that bad, really.
    via u/Valuable_Bluebird334
  • Lopsided_Amoeba... . 3d ago If it was a quality event with good food and entertainment and an opportunity to advance my career, then - yes. If it was an event with break room potluck vibe, then I would fine better ways to burn my money.
    via u/Lopsided_Amoeba8701
  • Neutraled · 3d ago • I don't even go to free holiday parties, you end up spending money for the taxi ride home (or gas money if you drive).
    via u/Neutraled
  • LauraBaura 3d ago There can be social costs to not going to functions. Networking, elbow rubbing, opportunities to show your boss and peers that you're a nice person. This can lead to assignments or promotions in the long term. Not a guarantee. But people who are there get a shot at face time, and not going deprives you of that.
    via u/LauraBaura
  • It's the same argument as when all the guys go out for drinks and the women aren't invited. Suddenly the men are helping each other out, and the women get left on the way side. It's not because they're men and hate women, it's because they socialized and built relationships, which naturally lead to opportunities.
    via u/LauraBaura
  • Only you can determine if your company event is useful or not, and paying for it sucks. But in general these events are helpful for networking for the future. If you're unable to network, then I wouldn't go.
    via u/LauraBaura
  • Previous-South-36... • 3d ago Ain't no way I'm paying to go to my workplace
    via u/Previous-South-3675
  • Ok-Good8150 • 3d ago . My company used to do a minimal charge, but it was at a very expensive place with a 5 course meal with an unlimited dessert bar where they offered to go boxes. I didn't mind because I would not have gone there as a regular customer.
    via u/Ok-Good8150
  • Now if they offered the standard rubber chicken with undercooked green bean almondine, then skip it. I'd rather use the money for regular groceries $ $
    via u/Ok-Good8150
  • Blue_Etalon ⚫ 3d ago I'm fine with them charging admission. Especially since I'd never go even if it were free.
    via u/Blue_Etalon
  • Necessary-Paintin... . 3d ago Unless I really like the people otherwise I would not go. I told the manager I am not going to the staff party and I don't have to explain the reason for not attending.
    via u/Necessary-Painting35
  • • Solid_Milk3104 3d ago My previous employer paid for the party space rental, food and regular drinks but alcoholic drinks had to be paid for by the individual. Sometimes there was an optional gift exchange with a $25 limit. I wouldn't attend if there was a mandatory entrance fee.
    via u/Solid_Milk3104
  • Fun_Apartment631 3d ago Hell no. I draw a hard line at paying to do my job and I really try to hold firm on lending my company money. (like reimbursable expenses) Maybe less of an issue when I'm working for large, hopefully solvent corporations, but still. No-host bar, whatever. I probably won't buy a drink. but I have the option of not buying a drink.
    via u/Fun_Apartment631

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employee office party Office workplace parties Holiday party company money
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