No, Tisha, they don't make us pay. We had a Thanksgiving potluck that was voluntary, and you could bring something if you wanted. Some people did, some people didn't. No one cared. The Company paid for the turkey and the champagne.

Our holiday party is completely paid for by the company.

In my last job, the company paid for the party, and some beer and wine, but we all were allowed to bring in special booze if we wanted, and most of us did. (Also, we actually liked each other, which helps.)

My job before that, the company paid for a HUGE holiday party...and then the warehouse threw a potluck that was super fun to participate in and much more intimate. You didn't have to bring anything if you couldn't, but lots of us did, because again, it was fun. There were a couple of times I couldn't afford to and didn't, and no one frowned at me.