Colorado woman has to go on company outing on a day when the office is closed—for 8 hours. And it’s a mystery destination

When you think of a company outing, you might imagine awkward icebreakers or a sad tray of sandwiches.

In a video that got over 1.3 million views, TikTok creator and dental hygienist Liz (@bestofbothworlds_01) shared a story that was unusual for one main reason: it was the kind of work event employees might actually want to attend.

What Happened at the Company Retreat?

Liz tells the story in the “put a finger down” format, explaining that her office holds team outings every quarter. At their last outing, however, employees were not given many details.

“You guys were all told to show up at the office on a Friday that your office is closed, and to meet there to find out what the surprise is,” she sets up the scene.

They were also told they would not return to the office until 8 p.m., making it an eight-hour event.

“What?” Liz says. “We also had no idea what was happening.”

She says she arrived at the office at noon, but employees were not allowed into their lounge area at first. According to Liz, that lounge is not a regular break room.

“Our lounge area is actually a speakeasy with a non alcoholic bar, so that’s pretty cool,” she says.

While they waited, the team spent time talking, gossiping, and wondering what the surprise could possibly be. Eventually, they were allowed into the lounge.

“Our boss makes an incredible little speech about how thankful he is that we are his work family,” she says. “And how they have dreamed about this vision forever and that it’s come to life, and we’re all a huge part of that.”

The moment got emotional. “We’re all crying, OK?” Liz says. “We’re all like, so sentimental.”

There was also Chick-fil-A on the table, which she joked was a sign their boss knows their love language well.

After the speech, Liz says her boss told everyone to open a set of custom boxes.

Then They Opened the Boxes

“We open it up. What’s in there?” she says. “There is a custom shot glass. There’s custom glasses that are made for each of us individually.”

That agenda included something that stunned everyone: a $500 shopping spree for each employee.

“What?” Liz says. “So we’re all shocked. Jaws are on the floor, gasps are filling the air.”

She says employees hugged their boss and thanked him for the surprise.

“This is incredible,” she recalls. “This is insane.”

According to Liz, the team then drank together before heading to the mall in style.

“Then you finish two bottles of tequila with your entire team, four bottles of champagne, and you take a limo to the mall,” she says.

From there, they each spent the $500. “Somehow, don’t remember much of it,” Liz jokes.

After shopping, the group took the limo to dinner, then returned to the office before heading home.

“Put a finger down,” Liz says. “Does that happen to you, or is that just me?”

Commenters Can’t Relate

In the comments section, viewers compared this experience to their own, some might say, lackluster one.

“I’m a nurse,” one commenter shared. “Once, last month, I got a 30 minute uninterrupted unpaid lunch break.”

“My fingers are all up, Liz,” joked another.

“Put a finger down if you company gives you a $50 gift card for Christmas and taxes your paycheck for it,” shared a third.

Another commenter shared another disappointing way of celebrating. “I got on automated email for my 10th anniversary today,” they wrote.

Why Do Companies Organize Employee Outings?

According to Indeed, companies often organize employee outings to help teams bond outside of the usual work setting, where people may feel more relaxed and casual.

Some companies plan sports-related outings, while others organize events around comedy, art, food, or other shared activities. Liz’s company outing may sound unusually generous, but she’s not the only person who enjoys these kinds of events when they’re done well.

In one Reddit thread where users discussed whether people actually enjoy team outings, some said it depends entirely on the event and when it happens. One commenter said they would skip “chips and a 6 pack of beer in the break room at 6,” but had a great time when their team went go-karting during the workday instead of going to the office.

Another user said team outings can be fun because they give employees a chance to spend time with work friends in a more normal setting and get to know each other better.

@bestofbothworlds_01 Blessed is an understatement ??? #fyp #dentalhygienist #dentalhygienetiktok #rdh #dentistry ♬ original sound – Liz PodNich RDH

The Mary Sue has reached out to Liz via email for comments and additional information.

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