Getting out of lunches for departing colleagues

H

HMC

Registered User
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Any good excuses for not attending these? The latest involves the guy I share an office with who's leaving after 3 years. He's ok, bit of a brown noser, but there's worse crimes.

Cue yet another lunch, card and collection. I can put up with the collection (just about) but the lunches, no. Tricky in a small team of 8 or 9 people to go unnoticed and I don't want to pull a sickie as it's not my style.
 
Dentist appointment, mother's birthday, optician, aunt in town - you don't have to be very inventive!
 
BOOOO!!!

Don't be such a misery guts, just go to the lunch for Gods sake. I can't imagine sharing an office for 3 years with someone and not going to their leaving lunch.
 
mandelbrot said:
Don't be such a misery guts, just go to the lunch for Gods sake.
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Either suck it up as suggested or suit yourself. If it doesn't suit you then just say it doesn't suit you, no point making up a lame excuse. I have a default non-attendance policy.
 
HMC said:
Any good excuses for not attending these?
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You can only get away with this once.

You have a doctor's appointment that evening for a blood test and you have to fast for 8 hours.

Or that you have a dinner appointment/date later and don't want to spoil your appetite.

Or just be upfront and say "Lunch ? Meh .." .
 
michaelm said:
I have a default non-attendance policy.
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People actually don't take offence when they know you have a policy. We have a guy in our department that everyone gets on great with. He is unapologetic about always doing his own thing for lunch regardless of the occasion and everyone respects that.
 
I'm presuming it's a case of everyone paing for themselves at these lunches, rather than the office paying.
 
Just say you have other plans. It is not compulsory and do not think anyine would mind. At leaving lunches in our office would never have full attendance. There are the same few who attend nothing and so are never expected to go!
 
If you don't want to go, dont go.

Why be under pressure from others? If they want to attend, that's their prerogative.

Im a very sociable person, but I make my own mind up in relation to events attended. I always contribute to the actual present. I never make an excuse for non attendance.



Marion
 
Same here. I don't make excuses re not attending something if it doesn't suit me, just politely refuse.
 
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