At its worst, “the tyranny of forced fun” can make going into work seem like starring in an outtake from Mean Girls or Animal House; it can turn gestures of genuine goodwill, like sharing a meal or exchanging gifts, into crass displays of one-upmanship. Of course, the managers and executives who want to call their employees “family” (or, at the very least, best friends for life) may truly believe that all the holiday parties and camping trips are creating a more engaged, cohesive workplace. Still, it doesn’t seem to be working. Per Gallup’s “Employee Engagement in the U.S.” poll , only 32% of us feel enthused about our jobs. It’s clear that we don’t want “healing and wellness mini-retreats,” game nights, or dance parties. We want to be challenged to do our best work and encouraged to innovate; we want to feel like our opinions matter and — most important — we want better, fairer wages. None of these things can be put on a Secret Santa list.