Work Christmas party scheduling, minus the reply-all
Somebody has to organise the office Christmas do. It's you, isn't it?
The venue's the fun bit. The date is the faff: the email thread, Dave's out-of-office, the part-timers, the people who reply "should be fine" and then aren't. Whenabouts gets you to a date without any of that. Send one link, everyone taps the evenings they can make, and you see which night suits the most people.
How it works
- Create a plan. Call it "Team Christmas do 🎄", set a date range (say 1–19 December) and choose evening, daytime or any time. Use "Which days work?" to stick to weekdays, or tick individual days, such as Thursdays and Fridays.
- Share one link. Paste it into Teams, Slack, email or the team WhatsApp. Colleagues tap the days they're free, or "maybe". No account, no app. Invite as many people as you like.
- Lock in the best date. Whenabouts adds up the answers and highlights the date that works for the most people. Once you confirm, anyone who opens the link can add it to their calendar with "Add to Google Calendar" or a downloadable .ics file (works with Outlook and Apple Calendar).
Why it suits a work do
Nobody has to sign up for anything
Colleagues won't make an account to answer one question. With Whenabouts they don't have to. They open the link and tap.
"Maybe" is a proper answer
Parents, part-timers and people on shifts can say "maybe" rather than a flat no. You'll see who's which, so you can have a quiet word before you confirm.
Lunch or evening, your call
Some teams want a long Friday lunch, some want a proper night out. Choose daytime or evening when you set up the plan.
No ads, no advertising cookies, no third-party trackers
It's a clean link to share round the office. Analytics are first-party only and sit behind a consent banner.
What it doesn't do (so you're not surprised)
Whenabouts is a date picker, not a meeting tool. It doesn't offer time slots, it doesn't connect to Outlook or Google calendars, and it doesn't email anyone. Once you've confirmed the date, post the link again so people can add it to their calendar.
If you need a 30-minute planning call at 2pm with a Teams link, use your work calendar or a meeting tool. For "which Thursday in December?", this is quicker.
Can't decide what to do either?
Christmas party ideas are half the battle. Try Spin the Plan: add a few options (bowling, a curry, crazy golf, the pub with the good fire), spin the wheel to pick the activity, then lock in a date. Fair, quick, and nobody can blame the organiser.
Tips from people who've done it
- Want the whole checklist? Budget, venue, the HMRC £150 rule and who needs what: our Christmas work do planner has the lot.
- Ask in early November. The good venues and the good Fridays go first.
- Offer a range, not three dates. Let people mark everything they can do. The overlap shows up quicker.
- Think about who's remote. If people travel in, a mid-week date near an office day might work better.
- Don't wait for 100%. If most of the team can make it, confirm it and book.
- Book the venue the same day. A date that's agreed but not booked is a date that slips.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free for a work party?
Yes. Creating a plan, sharing it, collecting answers and locking in the date are all free.
Do colleagues need an account?
No. There's no login and nothing to install. They open the link and tap their dates.
Will it add the party to everyone's Outlook?
Not automatically. Once you confirm, anyone who opens the plan link can download a .ics file for Outlook or Apple Calendar, or tap "Add to Google Calendar".
Can we choose between lunch and an evening do?
Yes. When you create the plan you can choose evening, daytime or any time.
Can I limit it to weekdays?
Yes. The "Which days work?" filter lets you pick any day, weekdays, weekends or individual days.
Does it track people or show ads?
No ads, no advertising cookies and no third-party trackers. Analytics are first-party only and need consent.