to think work have no right to tell me what I can and can't do on my day off

[Ellybellyboo]

DH runs a smallish local business. There's the business owner (who is never there), DH, his colleague Jane (not her real name) and an apprentice.

Yesterday the business owner had to talk to Jane about her behaviour at work (always late, 4 hour lunch breaks, etc), but it didn't go very well. Jane got very upset and walked out.

DH is having a new machine delivered today. The apprentice it at college today, the business owner is away so DH is on his own and it will all be a bit manic

I had booked a day off for today ages ago. Long weekend, wanted to decorate my dining room, make some new curtains, etc, but in light of the above I said to DH I'd go in when the machine arrived and answer the phone, deal with customers and just help out a bit.

Was chatting yesterday afternoon at work and my boss asked me what I was planning for my long weekend. I said about best laid plans and all that, and that I was now going to help DH at work for a couple of hours.

Just before I left last night my boss took me to one said and informed that I wouldn't be allowed to work with my DH today. It's against company policy for employees to work for someone else during their employment and would be subject to a disciplinary

AIBU to think this is ridiculous overkill for me helping out my husband for a couple of hours and they can bugger off and mind their own business

I have checked my company handbook and there's no mention of it that I can find. Only stuff about not working with direct competitors within 3 months of leaving

Ha ha Rivertam - very true.

Personally I wouldn't want my team working/volunteering while on leave. I want them to rest and have personal time so they are rested and well and fit for work again

I meant 'volunteering' like what op is doing - of course doing brownies etc is different

Hehehe! What the OP is doing is infinitely more restful than almost anything I do as a Brownie leader. I'm lucky. On the last residential I took them on I actually got a whole 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep!

Toasted's comments have made me arch my back. Literally. The thought of someone thinking they owned me like that?!

WTD is only 48 hours per week. I used to work 3 times that amount.
On occasion still do.

I posted upthread about how I used to work for an employer who had very strict clauses regarding not working or volunteering elsewhere. This was a huge international company, hundreds of thousands of employees worldwide.

And no, they didn't pay a good salary at all, and you couldn't move up through the payscale without putting in years of service (only eligible to apply for promotion after X years, that sort of thing, and even then it was only if your manager agreed that you could apply etc) And they refused to pay for overtime, even at the most junior level. They even objected to people doing part time study because it interfered with your ability to be available to them.

One manager famously announced that their junior salaries were not intended to 'feed a family' and that employees should consider living with their parents until they worked their way up. They said we were privileged to work there and that getting paid was a bonus. The company have since crashed rather spectacularly and can no longer dictate to employees the way they used to.

But there really are some shockingly bad employers out there.

If you were doing this on a regular basis, then he may be able to object as he may be in breach of the working time regs, which say that you have to have 20 days paid leave which is for rest etc. But you are not.
The only other circumstances under which he could complain about what you are up to on your annual leave if it is directly affecting your ability to do a good job when you come back to work. But it won't.
So I'd say he can do one!

www3.forbes.com/leadership/ten-unmistakable-signs-of-a-bad-place-to-work

I see comments about insurance often - note that even burglars are insured on commercial premises, as is the postman, gas meter reader etc etc.

So, anyone attending the site at the invitation of an employee (ie the DH) would be 'insured' against personal injury etc.