Colleagues birthday bash

[Worzelslovechild]

A colleague will be celebrating a milestone birthday soon. They have organised to have a celebration at a local restaurant. More than 30 people have said they will attend a socially distanced party, ( the restaurant has booth style seats with perspex screens between them). AIBU to think this is completely out of order or am I being a general killjoy about it? I am really uncomfortable with what they are doing but the general consensus among them is it's fine as they will be socially distanced.

I think if it’s in an restaurant with social distancing being observed it’s within the rules. Any restaurant might have more than 30 people in it at a given time.

The reason restaurants can have more than 30 people socially distanced, is because in a restaurant, it is benirvrd thst DS h group is separate so would not be mixing with one another. It’s far easier to keep groups separated, both with the partitions, servers, how they serve the tables etc

How can a group that large attend fir the birthday celebration and not intermingle? Surely they’d be moving between the partitioned tables, greeting one another etc. This goes against the steps restaurants put in place to try to ensure safety of patrons and staff.

YANBU

It's your choice whether to attend. But if the restaurant has made venue cv safe, then you have to let everyone else get on with it.

They may find the restaurant will insist they stay in their seats.

It is not out of order, if the restaurant has capacity they can have the party. However they need to be on tables of no more than six and stay in their seats.

The restaurant may not be able to accommodate you. Yes there will be tables that can take 6 so in theory you could have 30 over 5 tables but are we not meant to only be a max of 2 households when out so really to comply with all the guidelines it would be 15 tables for 2. (Based on my experience of 6 friends trying to meet for coffee and having to sit in pairs)

As there is 'the rule of 6' now, a restaurant cannot take a booking of 30 unless it is for an exempt gathering such as a wedding. It is illegal. They should only take bookings for 6 people.

That was Scotland btw, I know it's rule of 6 all over but there are still different tweaks depending where you are

I’d rather be in a restaurant social
Distances with 30 people I know than 30 strangers

@kingdomcapers

are we not meant to only be a max of 2 households when out so really to comply with all the guidelines it would be 15 tables for 2.
It depends on what country you are in. For example, in England, from Monday 14th September, it changed to 6 people from up to 6 households (with the exception being there can be more than 6 at a table if from one household).
Restaurants are not to take bookings for more than 6 people unless more than 6 in one household or for an exemption such as a wedding.

In Scotland there can be 6 diners from only 2 different households.

Thanks Itsabeutifuldayheyhey. I knew someone would be able to clarify.

@Sanitisethat

I think if it’s in an restaurant with social distancing being observed it’s within the rules.
It isn't.

*@Florencexlorencex

It is not out of order, if the restaurant has capacity they can have the party.
In England a booking cannot be made for more than 6 people from up to 6 different households unless for an exempt event. Birthday meals are not an exemption.

All the updated rules in individual countries are freely available on the .gov websites as they have been throughout the pandemic.

You can't have more than 6 people unless it's a wedding or a funeral and you can't have more than 30 full stop.

This would also fall foul of the 'mingling' rule as you cannot expect a group of 30+ people who all know each other to not talk to each other in a social setting. Everyone will probably want to chat to the colleague who's birthday it is, members of their team, people they are friendly with, etc. This is stated as illegal in the regulations

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/684 (search for the word mingle)

Your colleague should cancel the event, unfortunately, and if not, his/her line manager needs to have a word due to the potential bad publicity on the company. Imagine the headline 'Coronavirus outbreak at restaurant X following party for of company Y employee. Employee Z fined for arranging an illegal gathering'.

^I’d rather be in a restaurant social
Distances with 30 people I know than 30 strangers^

What's so special about the people you know that makes them less likely to have the virus than 30 people that you don't know?

Depends on how big a fine they are prepared to pay, because it is currently illegal.

They’ll just put them in groups of six, who won’t be able to mix with each other. So be careful who you end up sat with!

Yanbu not to go, your choice and I wouldn't.

Yabu to be a killjoy if it's legal (which I think it is?).

Don't go, but to proceed with the party is their choice.

If they get fined, so be it.

Let them go on with it. I'd stay well clear.

I don't think it is legal, because those sixes cannot mix which no doubt they would.

Surely it's pointless anyway as no mingling will be allowed, so they may as well all be in separate restaurants!

Or just order takeaway to the office and mingle freely !