To have emailed our HR person about our ‘Christmas get together’

[Circumlocutious]

Got an email from our HR person saying that we’ll be having a celebratory in-person gathering at the office (SE). Secret Santa is planned and ‘going out for a few drinks afterwards’. Caveated with ‘only if you’re comfortable of course’.

I responded directly to the email by politely her asking how they’re squaring this plan with Tier 2 guidelines (‘they’ because this idea was cooked up by our CEO). In the meantime, other colleagues have chipped in saying ‘we’re in’. Feel like I’m on a different planet.

DH thinks I should just stay out of it and that it’s nothing to do with me. Tempted to agree but the email has been sent.

I would of declined it, I don’t know if I would have challenged hr I’d of just said sorry can’t make it

Isn’t there different guidance for work events?

Some people are desperate for social interaction (single people, young people living alone). I'd have just declined and left them to it.

Well it's to late now but I'd say yes yabu just don't go

My eldest's work normally have a Christmas event involving all staff. This year they are doing it by team to keep the numbers down. They are all in the office every day anyway so I don't think an evening out makes much difference - we are in Tier 2 as well.

@CorianderQueen

Some people are desperate for social interaction (single people, young people living alone). I'd have just declined and left them to it.

trouble is, you have to work with them, so if they are doing the wrong thing, then it will impact OP

Meant to add, I think your DH was right on this, by all means don't go if you're not comfortable but I wouldn't have emailed HR about it.

There are different guidelines for business events. I haven’t looked into what they are, but I have a limited company and I’ve been told I can legally have a Christmas get together

I don’t necessarily think YWBU to email but I’d have checked that there wasn’t an exception for work things first, so you could be sure that they weren’t complying. And to be honest, if people are keen to go, I’d probably have left them to it. The isolation has been hard for a lot of people, mental health is declining.

I would ask where they are going for drinks. You can sit outside a pub in a group of 6 but they have to eat a ' substantial meal' if they want a drink. Are they actually aware of the tier 2 rules?

I’m pleased you’ve emailed. It seems like a bad idea.

I believe this is ok as a 'business event'.

Don't ask me how the logic works though.

I guess it’s doubly frustrating because for the last 10 days we’ve had a colleague off sick with lingering covid symptoms, missing the majority of meetings etc (contracted covid 6 weeks ago, pretty mildly at the time or so she said). It just seems utterly clueless.

@Grenlei

My eldest's work normally have a Christmas event involving all staff. This year they are doing it by team to keep the numbers down. They are all in the office every day anyway so I don't think an evening out makes much difference - we are in Tier 2 as well.

Will they be distancing from each other on their evening out in the same way they do in the office?

I can't see the evening out happening, as venues will only let them in if they are from the same household surely? It is going to be pretty obvious if a group of adults rock up together that they are not one household.

different rules for businesses, I think you'll find this is permitted.

@RichardMarxisinnocent from what I understand the SD at work is fairly token, they sit on alternate desks so apart from each other but everyone is using the same printers, kitchen and loo facilities etc and as a mainly male office I suspect the handwashing and sanitising is not tiptop - not envy!

That said we're a low infection area and they've had no cases at work at all (office of over 100 people, they went back in the summer). I believe the plan for their Team night out is a meal and drinks, not sure if they will all be sitting 1 chair apart to preserve SD.

Would they not mean a few drinks outdoors - which is allowed if its no more than 6? I think YABU to be judgey tbh, just dont go if you dont want to

Where in the UK are pubs serving drinks in the evening without meals?

It's too late now, since you've sent the email. But there can be so many battles one has to fight at work, I personally wouldn't have bothered making a fuss about this; I just would have politely declined if I didn't want to go.

Business meetings over a meal are allowed under current COVID rules, so there may be similar rules for office Christmas get togethers.

Would be good to see the guidance where these events are permitted for businesses.

You should have just declined, if you aren't happy then don't go, its up to everyone else what they want to do

'Going out for a few drinks afterwards' doesn't sound like a business event, just sounds like a trip to the pub.

This is a stupid idea and I do sometimes wonder what planet some people are on. You were right to comment - HR must know it’s an issue otherwise they wouldn’t have mentioned “only if you are comfortable”. 🙄

You think that's bad. The powers that be have decided that in absence of being able to have a Christmas party were going to have a zoom mince pie baking competition. There's 60 of us. And we all have to supply our own ingredients. It's not optional. God give me strength.

Just politely decline - they gave you an out with the "if you're comfortable with it"

The rest of them can make their own decisions

@loobyloo1234

Would they not mean a few drinks outdoors - which is allowed if its no more than 6? I think YABU to be judgey tbh, just dont go if you dont want to

In tier 2 drinks are only allowed to be served with a substantial meal.