To say no to voucher instead of Christmas night out

[Askinforabaskin]

Basically I have agreed to arrange the night out for my team at work. We have a budget of £35 per head every year. Usually if you don’t attend your money just gets put into the kitty for drinks for everyone else.

Obviously last year we didn’t have a night out due to covid. So everyone got a bottle (tbh it could have been anything they wanted from the supermarket) in place of that.

This year we are having a day out (meal followed by drinks, in the afternoon so people can still get train home). Obviously due to the nature of these things not everyone can make it due to other commitments so I have had a few people say they can’t attend.

But today I had a pretty shitty phone call from a guy saying he disagreed with the night out and he didn’t want to catch covid and was demanding a voucher instead. Although I am organising it, I have no control over the money (I have purely just been contacting the venue). Unfortunately the manager who is in control of the money is off just now as his poor wife is very ill. I tried to explain the situation to the guy and that basically it wasn’t my call to make and he was rather nasty about the manager. I managed to palm him off but no doubt he’ll be back in contact soon.

[Rtmhwales]

Ha, the cheek of some people. You've said no, I'd just let it blow over now.

[Smartiepants79]

What?! If you can’t come then you miss out. That’s how it works. I presume the kitty for this isn’t part of your contracted wage packet just a nice perk? He’s not entitled to anything.
Just keep saying no. It’s not in your power to say yes anyway.

[JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn]

A bit cheeky to ask for a voucher but I can understand why he doesn't want to go to an event with a crowd of people just before Christmas.

With everything that's going on it would have been a good idea if the person in charge had given people a choice - a meal out or gift.

Everyone needs to be appreciated and recognised for working through a difficult year.

[HugeAckmansWife]

Hrs being a dick to be nasty about but I can see his POV, Covid or no Covid. If the management can afford to allocate X per person and 3 people can't attend the event, why should the others ge to drink / eat their Xmas treat on top of their own? I think offering a choice is much fairer actually.

[LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow]

We once got a giant box of chocolates and a bottle of sparkling something or other when I worked with Boots....but that's cos loads of folks were not going and someone the reason lots of us were not going had been gloating that the drinks kitty would be amazing with all the money not used for meals, and then someone else threatened to blab to HeadOffice that only so many were going....so the chocs/booze were a bribe! :o

that was a fabulously dramatic place to work!

Dh gets a voucher from this job, but he is working the day they have the do, and it was the same at the last place.

Tell the moaner to take it up with management...you are only the go-between.

[BirdyBirdyTweetTweet]

He's been a knob and shouldn't have communicated with you in the way that he did.

But if I couldn't (or didn't want to) go and this was the only perk going, I'd take the cash / voucher equivalent.

[maofteens]

You can't make the decision so refer him up - maybe he won't be so insistent when it's someone in a more senior or superior role. Personally I think it's pathetic to expect a voucher - the whole point is to celebrate together, not the money, no matter what reason they have for not attending.

[HugeAckmansWife]

No, the whole point is management expressing a bit if festive gratitude for your work. You might be anti social, have no childcare, worried about Covid, whatever, why should you miss out on your perk?

[VitalsStable]

Just tell him it's a contribution by the company towards the Christmas meal and there isn't an alternative. If he doesn't want to go that's his decision but he will forego any part of the contribution.

[ComtesseDeSpair]

My employer is offering either team meal out or £20 voucher for this reason. If he was rude and shitty that’s unacceptable. But I do see his point, many people will have the perfectly genuine reason of not wanting to risk catching covid days before they’ve most likely arranged to see (potentially vulnerable) relatives for Christmas and it does seem a bit unfair that these people will get nothing. It’s a bit different to choosing not to go because you can’t be arsed or don’t want to have to get a taxi home etc.

[julieca]

I would just tell him to take it up with management as you cant make the decision. I wouldn't try and argue any viewpoint at all. Not my monkey, not my circus.

[WeAllHaveWings]

Have you been told there is no gift alternative this year? If yes that is the answer and he is free to speak to your managers cover.

If you havent been told no gift alternative then ask.

No big deal.

[CharlotteRose90]

Wait did I read it right that if he doesn’t go that his portion of money goes to the kitty for other peoples drinks etc? If yes then I’d do the same and demand a voucher or cash as that isn’t fair. No way should he or anyone else be penalised for not wanting to be in crowds. I would speak to management and see what they can do as he won’t be the first or last person to say no

[QuinceTamarillo]

Whether or not it's reasonable of the company, there's not a lot you personally can do except refer him to the person who can handle his request. If the person you already referred him to can't help and he comes back, maybe the absent manager's boss would know who is his/her backup is for this kind of thing?

In my experience, though, companies usually like to encourage as many employees as possible to go to the "outing" if there is one planned - it's not just a "reward" for the employees but also a kind of collegial bonding/corporate feel-good thing. The only time I can remember anyone being given any individual compensation for not being able to attend was a case where someone had to miss out because of specific job duties that couldn't be covered required them to remain in the office during the outing time.

If he's saying the whole outing should be cancelled and everyone should get a voucher, that's even more out of your control (and I don't fancy his chances of success at this late date)!

[gofg]

Wait did I read it right that if he doesn’t go that his portion of money goes to the kitty for other peoples drinks etc? If yes then I’d do the same and demand a voucher or cash as that isn’t fair. No way should he or anyone else be penalised for not wanting to be in crowds. I would speak to management and see what they can do as he won’t be the first or last person to say no

Oh for goodness sake! I rarely attended work functions and couldn't have cared less if my portion went into the kitty for the benefit of others. Work paying for a night out is a privilege, not a right, and if you choose not to go then tough luck. The entitlement of some people is stunning! "Demanding" a voucher or cash tells me a lot about you.

[SW1amp]

@HugeAckmansWife

No, the whole point is management expressing a bit if festive gratitude for your work. You might be anti social, have no childcare, worried about Covid, whatever, why should you miss out on your perk?

Pretty sure that a staff Christmas party is a tax deductible and legitimate present, but a voucher would be payment in kind

So that’s one reason he won’t get his ‘perk’

But he also sounds like a total misery guts

[CharlotteRose90]

@gofg

Wait did I read it right that if he doesn’t go that his portion of money goes to the kitty for other peoples drinks etc? If yes then I’d do the same and demand a voucher or cash as that isn’t fair. No way should he or anyone else be penalised for not wanting to be in crowds. I would speak to management and see what they can do as he won’t be the first or last person to say no

Oh for goodness sake! I rarely attended work functions and couldn't have cared less if my portion went into the kitty for the benefit of others. Work paying for a night out is a privilege, not a right, and if you choose not to go then tough luck. The entitlement of some people is stunning! "Demanding" a voucher or cash tells me a lot about you.

Yeah it does which says I won’t take shit off a crap company . If Every employee is asked to go to a works do that’s paid for and they have a decent excuse why they can’t go then yes they should get their portion back. Thank god I’ve worked for decent companies clearly.

[MrsPnut]

The few years prior to covid, I organised the Christmas do and I had all kinds of rubbish requests. I used to refer them to the Operations Director and funnily enough they never contacted him.

[julieca]

This is why I would never be the person to organise the Xmas do.

[user848827672]

What’s wrong with getting a voucher, not everyone wants the same thing and why should he miss out? Crap management

[grapewine]

I see where he's coming from tbh.

[gofg]

Yeah it does which says I won’t take shit off a crap company . If Every employee is asked to go to a works do that’s paid for and they have a decent excuse why they can’t go then yes they should get their portion back. Thank god I’ve worked for decent companies clearly.

I've been around a very long time, and have known dozens of people who, for one reason or another, don't wish to attend a works do. Not one of them has ever felt they were entitled to a voucher instead. A company not paying people who don't attend a works do most certainly does not make them a "crap company". I can't believe the level of entitlement of some people. You get paid to do a job, your employer offers something extra, you choose not to avail yourself of the opportunity, then tough luck.

[CharlotteRose90]

@gofg

Yeah it does which says I won’t take shit off a crap company . If Every employee is asked to go to a works do that’s paid for and they have a decent excuse why they can’t go then yes they should get their portion back. Thank god I’ve worked for decent companies clearly.

I've been around a very long time, and have known dozens of people who, for one reason or another, don't wish to attend a works do. Not one of them has ever felt they were entitled to a voucher instead. A company not paying people who don't attend a works do most certainly does not make them a "crap company". I can't believe the level of entitlement of some people. You get paid to do a job, your employer offers something extra, you choose not to avail yourself of the opportunity, then tough luck.

That’s your view and it’s clearly different from mine which is fine. Same as everyone I know ive always been offered a voucher if I couldn’t attend a worlds do. Some management and companies are better then others.

[user848827672]

@CharlotteRose90 agreed, some management are so unimaginative

[AwaAnBileYerHeid]

I can kind of see his POV however don't agree with the way he's gone about things. A Christmas night out is to give thanks to employees, especially when they've kept things going during covid. It doesn't seem fair that because someone has a genuine concern in regards to socialising out and about in crowds and catching covid and potentially spreading it to vulnerable relatives during Christmas, they don't get that same thanks as others.

You don't have the final say though, so perhaps just refer to the person who does.