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.

[Purplecatshopaholic]

I understand this is ‘allowed’ - whether sensible or not is another thing. I would just decline and leave them to it...

[Circumlocutious]

@TonkinLenkicks

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.

Fuck that’s horrendous.

[loobyloo1234]

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

Presumably thats what they meant though? No pubs will let you 'have a few drinks' outside unless you're eating aswell so it negates it being anything else surely

[BecomeStronger]

I would challenge (and we have postponed our leadership Secret Santa until Jan as a result of my challenge) but it's kind of my role to do so. I think as a more junior member of staff I'd have just declined. You can't really win in these situations.

[AcornAutumn]

@TonkinLenkicks

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.

You’re not well that day.

[AcornAutumn]

I don’t even own the stuff I’d need for baking!

[BackforGood]

Does sound like a stupid idea.
Whether I would have pressed 'reply all' and asked how it fitted with the guidelines (which would happen in my Team as we are all managers and all able to speak freely to one another if someone suggested anything like this, it would be questioned) OR to reply individually to whoever sent the e-mail, OR to just decline will all depend on your position and the organisation you work for.

[TonkinLenkicks]

@AcornAutumn I'm going to be creative with this one. Do a lot of things out of shot then present my supermarket bought ones absolute tossers

[Hope4theBestPlan4theWorst]

@TonkinLenkicks
There was another thread where someone suggested getting the green or orange cellophane off quality street and then covering up the camera on your laptop 💻 saying "it's gone all weird" - might be useful 😂

[TonkinLenkicks]

@AcornAutumn expectation is you need to buy it I've got the rage just typing this. Thanks OP for giving me a safe space to vent

[littlefireseverywhere]

@TonkinLenkicks I’d get them from your local deli, nice homemade ones. Eat most offer one as your example

[JeanMichelBisquiat]

Gaaah - it's not just the OP's decision....stupid stuff like this then increases the Covid-catching risk of everyone these silly people then go on to interact with. OP, you're quite right to raise it with HR, rather than just declining. I can't believe we're nearly a year in and people still just think we can all take our own assessment of what risk we're individually comfortable with - that's not how it works!

[diddl]

@TonkinLenkicks

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.

That takes "team bonding" type stuff to a whole new level of hell!

Is it in work time?

[CheetasOnFajitas]

@Circumlocutious

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

Presumably the HR person will link to them when replying to your request.
YWNBU to ask.

[unmarkedbythat]

I would have done something very similar, op, but that would mostly be because our work has been absolutely bang on it strict with all restrictions throughout the pandemic and (we're in the Manchester area) there was a period when we had 11 changes to the SOP for visits in two weeks and staff have had disciplinaries for not working to guidelines, etc. In that context any suggestion from them that it's xmas so we can bin off being careful would go down like cold sick.

[wildraisins]

I would have been tempted to say something. It's basically illegal what they're doing and whilst it says "only if you're comfortable" it is still going to cause segregation as there's always pressure to attend things like this.

I don't think it was right that they arranged it and I'd be trying to find a way of calling them out on it.

[Silentplikebath]

@TonkinLenkicks you could go offline for a few hours and say your wifi was down!

@Circumlocutious I don’t blame you for asking HR, but I would have just written a polite refusal of ‘I don’t feel comfortable so won’t be attending the event’

My DH’s company are planning a wine tasting zoom event. We’re teetotal so he was delighted to have to decline

[CheetasOnFajitas]

Tier 2 guidance

It says Gatherings for work purposes are only allowed where they are reasonably necessary. If meetings take place in the workplace, workplaces should be set up to meet the COVID-19-secure guidelines. Meals to socialise with work colleagues are not permitted.

So will be interesting to see if OP’s work think they are genuinely complying with guidance as it doesn’t seem possible.

[Walkerbean16]

My husband asked his local landlord if he weere to come for a few drinks with his staff how long they would be allowed to stay. He said they have made a stew which was the cheapest "substantial meal" they could make, you buy it for £4 and don't eat it. Leave it on your table and you can stay as long as you like.

People are just finding loopholes with everything, its all ridiculous.

[Walkerbean16]

Photo of said stew, what a waste of food.

[Walkerbean16]

Try again

[Osirus]

TonkinLenkicks
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.

I think your WiFi might be down that day...

[AcornAutumn]

it would be good if there's a way to distribute that food to those in need

but of course, the pubs have to make sure it's not them or their staff in need of free food

what a mess.

[Osirus]

I don’t see what was wrong with asking HR. There’s nothing wrong with an innocent query.

[KarlKennedysDurianFruit]

Why not eat the stew?