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Original poster

No Christmas meal for staff - management went out in secret

38 replies

chatvillain · 15/12/2018 11:36

So pissed off. No Christmas meal arranged for staff this year, for various reasons, but refusal of time of and lack of money being the main ones. Change of hours means we're all working until 5 on Christmas Eve and it was suggested drinks after that instead of a meal. Unsurprisingly, most people can't make that as they want to be home with family.

On Facebook the other day and a photo appeared of all the managers tagged out for Christmas lunch, and then off to the local panto. This post swiftly disappeared, and not a sausage from one manager who tends to post if she so much as farts. They are all saying they were in a team meeting, although this is obviously a cobbled together excuse and it seems it is deliberately being kept secret.

Am I being grinch like to wish them all a merry fucking Christmas and hope they choke on a mince pie?

OP posts:
Readysteadygoat · 15/12/2018 11:39

Shock YWDNBU

Could the business survive if they all choked though? Maybe let them survive until you've found a new job

Bittermints · 15/12/2018 11:42

LTB

Original poster
chatvillain · 15/12/2018 11:43

It's local government - we pay for any Christmas meals - and our managers are pretty crap tbh.

OP posts:
Juells · 15/12/2018 11:44

Pity that no-one got a screenshot of the post. Would have been good fun to print it off and stick copies all over the place. Grin

CoughLaughFart · 15/12/2018 11:45

Just ask your manager if she enjoyed her meal. Don’t confront her; just make it clear you all know.

VietnameseCrispyFish · 15/12/2018 11:45

I don’t really see an issue, but then in every job I’ve ever had it’s been the staff who’ve arranged their own meals and anyone is invited (there’d have been no problem with anyone not attending either, the scenario you describe would have been fine for people who want to do something else to go and arrange for themselves).

Never had it paid for by the company or in working hours either.

Surely at some point in November one of you could have said “right, this date in December straight from work let’s go for drinks and a meal, who’s coming?” instead of leaving it up to the company?

VietnameseCrispyFish · 15/12/2018 11:46

Actually the lying is a bit off, saying they were in a team meeting. That’s shit of them. Maybe they thought you’d all react poorly as you hadn’t sorted your own meal out but they didn’t think it would work to invite loads more people to what sounds like a seated ticketed event.

Local government are never gonna give you time in the working day to go have fun, too dodgy when it’s taxpayer’s money.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 15/12/2018 11:46

What is wrong with a group.of managers going out for an Xmas meal if they have paid for it themselves and it hasn't come out of company money. I went out for a meal with a group of colleagues last week where no higher level management was invited.

KitKat1985 · 15/12/2018 11:50

I think if they had done this on their own time then that would have been fine, but from what you are describing they went out for a work Christmas lunch and to the panto during work time which they lied about and pretended they were working right? And no other members of staff were given the same opportunity? Then yes, YADNBU. How shitty of them.

Bittermints · 15/12/2018 11:52

Oh come on. OP says they have previously had a Christmas do in work time. This year told no, need you to keep on working to 5pm on Monday 24th. Managers then sneak off for a jolly in work time. Not great for morale!

Jezzifishie · 15/12/2018 11:52

That's really odd! I'm in local government too, it was expected that the teams all arranged and sorted their Christmas meals. I went on two - one team that I work really closely with, and one for my own team. There was also an SLT one. (All in the evenings) Seems so odd to not let staff have a lunchtime one, but have one themselves! If the rule is no time off, then it should apply equally.

LaurieMarlow · 15/12/2018 11:52

That's shit of them

Just ask your manager if she enjoyed her meal. Don’t confront her; just make it clear you all know.

Agree with this. Then let her stew.

Original poster
chatvillain · 15/12/2018 11:53

Yes, they've pretended they were working. That's what's pissed me off most.

OP posts:
SenoritaViva · 15/12/2018 11:53

I think if it isn’t company money and they paid themselves it’s ok, not great for morale agreed.

Maybe some people complained about the cost of going out so they decided just managers (who earn more).

SenoritaViva · 15/12/2018 11:54

Pretending to be working is a bit shit to be honest though.

Original poster
chatvillain · 15/12/2018 11:55

If I'd have known all this secrecy was involved I'd have definitely screenshot the post!

OP posts:
NotSuchASmugMarriedNow1 · 15/12/2018 11:58

At least you've learnt something from this. You've learnt that your managers are sneaky liars. Remember that.

Original poster
chatvillain · 15/12/2018 11:59

Oh Notsuch, I've known that for years!!

OP posts:
KitKat1985 · 15/12/2018 11:59

Someone in the team needs to ask to see the minutes from the meeting....

PositivelyPERF · 15/12/2018 12:00

Stick a post up saying you were thinking of going to that restaurant and then to the panto but wanted to know if anyone else has been to either and can they let you know what they’re like. 😁 I’m a petty fucker.

lazyarse123 · 15/12/2018 12:03

I'de let them know you know, doing it in work time is out of order. I work in a small supermarket and we went for an evening meal this week and another shops staff covered so we could all go, we will do the same for them. It's called teamwork and is good for morale.

MontyPants · 15/12/2018 12:09

If it was on work time, then it’s a bit rude but just one of those things that happens all over the place unfortunately. Not sure why they need to lie, surely they could just say yes it was a managerial-only Christmas do. If it was in their own time, then YABU because they can do and say what they like if they’re not in work, even if they’re being rude like this.

Polarbearflavour · 15/12/2018 12:21

I temped in local government. Every single “director” was a complete and utter wanker. This doesn’t surprise me!

abacucat · 15/12/2018 12:23

Local Government usually don't allow paid time off to go out for a xmas meal and have to pay for it themselves. So I wonder if someone higher up found out this was happening and put a stop to it.
If it is anything like when I worked in Local Government, the managers will have been regularly doing way over their hours anyway with no way to claim back hours, so maybe they think it is fair enough going in work time? They will presumably have paid for it themselves though.
As staff you need to organise a xmas do yourselves. This is standard in Local Government.

Jaxhog · 15/12/2018 12:26

If in work time, then it's a bit out of order. Panto is NOT teamworking! But are you sure it was in work time?

I've always found that if I want a christmas dinner then I and/or my colleagues organise and pay for it ourselves. Expecting your work to do this for you is a bit much. This isn't the 18 century!

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