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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU in expecting time off in lieu for a work event?

37 replies

VirtuosoRidiculoso · 05/11/2015 16:10

Hello

First time AIBUer, Bit scared....
I work for a small charity. I suggested we have a fundraiser & all agreed.
Now I am told - in passing- that staff will not be refunded their hours in TOIL.
I think this is unfair as it's outside of my work hours.
Contract permits TOIL but for some reason this is something we "chose" to do and it has a fun social aspect so it should be done in our free time.

Who is BU? Manager or I?

OP posts:
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 05/11/2015 16:12

It sounds like a voluntary social event, and I don't think it's unreasonable for your employers not to give you TOIL.

SeaCabbage · 05/11/2015 16:12

Well, how many hours is it and when? And how fun is it going to be?!

ZoeTurtle · 05/11/2015 16:14

It was your suggestion. It's for a charity. You presumably had some input into the format and timing since you helped arrange it. I think YABU.

On the other hand if you can't make an event outside of work hours because of other commitments, or if this became a regular thing, YWNBU to refuse to go. In principle you can refuse to go even if you're free and it's a one off, but I think it would (rightly) paint you in a bad light to your employers.

JaneAustinAllegro · 05/11/2015 16:17

expecting TOIL for a charity event is effectively being asked to be paid to do it, which rather defeats the fact it's a charity event.
It's never occurred to me to ask for TOIL for any evening events I've attended for work / business trips abroad. I suspect I'd have been laughed out of the door pretty quickly.

IrenetheQuaint · 05/11/2015 16:18

Honestly - I think that for a one-off like this very few employers would offer TOIL. If you were doing one evening event a week it would be a bit different.

LurkingHusband · 05/11/2015 16:19

I think the OP has been misunderstood ...

AIUI she works for a charity, and wants to run a fundraiser for the same charity

no sure if that changes anyones views ....

Chococroc · 05/11/2015 16:19

I work for a charity, we get toil for meetings etc that are required as part of our role, if we choose to take part in a fundraising event outside of that then no we wouldn't get/expect toil.

NameChange30 · 05/11/2015 16:26

Attendance is voluntary, it's a one-off, and sounds like it will be quite fun. So you're being a bit cheeky to expect TOIL.

However, if you regularly had to attend evening or weekend events as part of your job, it would be reasonable to get TOIL.

laffymeal · 05/11/2015 16:31

Yabu, I did corporate hospitality years ago, often still in the venue until 4am, I was still expected to be at work the following day first thing and I never got paid overtime or TOIL. For a one off you're really cheeky to expect time back.

NameChange30 · 05/11/2015 16:34

Well in your case laffy they should have given you TOIL or paid you overtime. You would have been justified in asking for it.

MaisieDotes · 05/11/2015 16:35

Who will be attending the fundraiser? Supporters of the charity, I expect. Why on earth would you expect other people to attend an event in their spare time (and, I assume, make donations) when this is not something you are prepared to do yourself?

NewLife4Me · 05/11/2015 16:39

I bet you're popular with your colleagues, can they opt out of it?
I can see why you'd organise it for free but you can't expect others to do it in their free time.
If you can get out of it, it may be a good idea.
If not you'll just have to suck it up, learn from experience and check with management next time.

laffymeal · 05/11/2015 16:45

It was in the contract and I knew what I was taking on Emma. I got well paid and made a lot of contacts.

HorseyCool · 05/11/2015 16:50

Can you get some TOIL discreetly?

I recently had to man a stand at an event from 0800 - 1600 (with a big schelp to get the exhibition centre) then head across the City to another function and entertain customers from 1800 - 2230. There was no TOIL but I have discreetly taken some back, for example not returned straight back from a meeting, gone shopping on work time etc.

NameChange30 · 05/11/2015 16:53

laffy Good point. If the working hours are in the contact and reflected in the salary, that's fair enough. I suppose TOIL should be for extra work commitments that aren't covered in the contract but are frequent enough to have an impact.

29redshoes · 05/11/2015 16:54

I think you should be offered TOIL, although if it were me I'd probably let it go since it's a one off. And I guess it will be a one off too, as none of you will be suggesting anything similar again thanks to the attitude of the management!

Not sure I really follow the "it's for charity" argument. Do people who work for charities not get the same rights as the rest of us?? Confused

GruntledOne · 05/11/2015 17:04

OP, would I be right in thinking that your charity relies heavily on volunteers? If so it would be a bit of a cheek expecting them to give their time up whilst you expect to be paid out of the money they raise.

ShamelessBreadAddict · 05/11/2015 17:12

I was asked to help at a work event one evening. No TOIL per se but as it finished quite late and I was tired and pregnant they did pay for my taxi home (quite a long way) and let me work from home the next day so I could spend the time I normally would commuting in my bed.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 05/11/2015 17:19

IME this goes with working for a charity. If it was "everyday" sort of work you were doing out of hours then yes, I'd expect to be paid, but not for a one-off event like this

lorelei9 · 05/11/2015 17:22

OP, this is very confusing

do you mean you organised a fundraising event to raise funds for the charity for whom you work?

in that case, whoever is "working" on it should claim TOIL only if it was part of their job description to organise events that might fall out of hours.

anyone who is going for fun shouldn't have TOIL.

Talk about creating chaos!

RB68 · 05/11/2015 17:25

If fundraising is your job and that's why you did it then not unreasonable, if you generally work for them and this was an "extra" albeit raising funds for your charity then unreasonable

The volunteers thing is a bit of a redherring - having worked for a charity myself I understand that they do expect alot of give for not alot of payback to you so it can get frustrating when you feel like you might as well volunteer for all that you are paid (and yes charity pay rates are crap as well)

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 05/11/2015 17:27

I might be missing the point, but isn't this a bit like a teacher wanting an afternoon off for helping at the school fair?

If it's an optional social activity then YABU. In my opinion anyway.

Not that I've ever worked anywhere that's offered time off in lieu......

Annwfyn · 05/11/2015 17:31

I work for a charity. Our rule is that if something is voluntary we don't get TOIL. If the expectation is that we have to be there we do.

So if I arrange an event and have to be there because my job is to arrange the event as fundraising officer, I get TOIL.

If a colleague arranges an event and I choose to go along to show support, but could, in theory, have chosen to stay at home, then I don't.

Queenbean · 05/11/2015 17:31

If you are salaried then you are paid one sum to do the job needed

This falls in to the definition of your job as needed so no, it's not reasonable to ask for toil

If you were being paid hourly then I'd expect you to be paid for it. Not salaried though.

lorelei9 · 05/11/2015 17:41

OP "Contract permits TOIL but for some reason this is something we "chose" to do and it has a fun social aspect so it should be done in our free time"

but you "suggested" it. I'm sure you did it with the best of intentions but to your manager it might sound like you volunteered to do extra hours.