Recently, I was "instructed" to attend a department dinner for all my hard work and because management paid for it.  Now, you're probably saying 'At least you have a boss to dictate to you' or 'It's not like they asked you to serve the food'.  No, but I'd rather have respect and a free burger or pizza slice than a 5-course meal for one day and be provoked, antagonized and have my hard work be victim to attempted sabatoge the rest of the year.  I told them I had a Dr. appointment and the way I see it - any day now, my boss will be dictating to me while I'm on a stretcher.