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 dont think OP is being unreasonable at all.
Everyone has to take responsibility for their own actions and assess the risk for themselves. I dont think this gathering has been very well thought through.
The thing is if it is allowed within the rules of their tier then, as you put it, people have to assess the risk for themselves and take responsibility for their actions.
That means that it's irrelevant whether the OP wants to go or not. If it's allowed and others choose to then sending an email to HR and the CEO was probably misguided when they'd already said it was entirely optional and they understand if people don't feel comfortable attending.

Just don't go if you're not comfortable.

It's not about being within the rules though (obviously it's important).

By having the Christmas social as an event where you are invited to meet up, it will exclude people.

You could have family members who are isolating or shielding, so you wouldn't be able to go.

You could be isolating yourself due to symptoms.

There is no need to have a social get together, and any management who organises such a thing is irresponsible.

It's not about choosing not to go, it should never have been suggested in the first place.

The hostile responses to OP shows just why we have had lockdowns, what part of this pandemic is hard to understand. An office party is definitely non essential.

The problem is that the rules are there and within the rules people are free to make a decision.

Personally I dont agree with some of the rules. I think they should be more relaxed in some places (especially regarding support bubbles for families with young children), but tighter in other places (such as workplaces and schools). Personally I think there shouldn't be travel around the country crammed into 5 days at Christmas, but my opinion on the rules is irrelevant though.

The company have decided that they wish to have an optional event, which they are allowed to so if the event is within the rules. Some colleagues might have been finding home working very isolating, especially if they live alone and haven't got a support bubble. That's just as relevant as you saying that other people might have reasons for not attending. The good thing is that it is optional. If something is optional and within the rules then whether someone thinks it should be different is irrelevant.

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 find my internet always goes dodgy at the MOST inconvenient times.’oops, no, you’ve frozen again. Is it just me? The WiFi in my kitchen is awful. I’ll just turn my camera off... oh that’s better, I can still see you!’

It does seem ridiculous to me that you can sit in the same office for hours every day but can’t then go to the pub together after work. I’ll never understand the logic. It’s the same with school children, they can sit together in class for hours but can’t go to the other’s house for tea or even hang out with them in the street after school. I genuinely don’t get it. Covid doesn’t know the difference between work/school and leisure...

Decline and well done for pointing it out

She said only if you're comfortable with it. You're not, so it's simple, you can decline.

Don't overthink it. Just say you won't be there. It'll be forgotten about as soon as it's over, anyway.

I currently work in hospitality, the rules in my area (tier 2) is that colleagues can have a business meal together mixing households but no alcohol can be served.

The logic behind it is that nobody should be unnecessarily socialising outside their household or support bubble to reduce the spread.

You’ve done the right thing - the company has a duty of care and responsibility for staff health and safety. No idea if the decision was made by HR (more likely management), but they’re the right people to tell if you think safety is being impacted. Everyone likes to tell people not to get involved etc. but if no one stands up or points things out errors like this get missed and can have dreadful consequences. Good on you.

Just say you’re not comfortable - they’ve given that option. Show goodwill by buying a bottle of wine/tin of biscuits or chocolate and tell them to have a good time. You can bet others will drop out if you do

@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 would be waylaid by a sudden emergency that day.

@eminthebigsmoke

You’ve done the right thing - the company has a duty of care and responsibility for staff health and safety. No idea if the decision was made by HR (more likely management), but they’re the right people to tell if you think safety is being impacted. Everyone likes to tell people not to get involved etc. but if no one stands up or points things out errors like this get missed and can have dreadful consequences. Good on you.

This^

It's a legal requirement for employees to :

• Tell someone (your employer, supervisor, or health and safety representative) if you think the work or inadequate precautions are putting anyone’s health and safety at serious risk.

It is a legal requirement for employers to:

• protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees and other people who might be affected by their business. Employers must do whatever is reasonably practicable to achieve this.

If the OP was being really jobsworth about this aspect of H&S, she could inform the HSE or local authority

The quotes above are directly from the HSE web site.

Whenever I've been on the mandatory new employee H&S training, it has been emphasised that the employee is also responsible for their own H&S, and of others.

Don't think you're unreasonable. I'd be interested what's their answer to your email is. Of it doesn't sound safe, be honest, politely decline and wish other a wonderful evening.
Simple...

A work place near me had 10 staff isolate after a get together like this.
Poorly thought out

I totally agree with the OP in questioning HR on how they are squaring this out with the current government guidance. Unless they are proposing to meet up between 23 and 27 December which seems extremely unlikely for a corporate event?? Even then, only people from 3 separate families can meet together indoors. That would limit the event to 3 people in total, surely?

In my own experience, back in July, my company was registering us for an in-person industry conference scheduled for October involving over 1,000 participants, while it was very obvious for any thinking person (but of course not anyone named Dido) that the infection rates were going to explode in autumn.

So I went back to the sender copying everyone on the original email and the FD who is my manager, and giving an example of the recent NHS trust training event, and proposing that we go back to conference organiser asking for a virtual attendance options. You do not get things changed or improved for yourselves or your families if you keep your heads down, ladies! I am really surprised most of you advise OP to do just that and enable idiotic (and in this case, illegal) actions.

I had an immediate response from a couple of shielding colleagues supporting my proposal, and so the FD PA who was organising attendance of the event went back to the conference organiser, and 2 weeks later the conference was transformed into a fully online event. I suspect lots of other participating organisations had similar requests.

So OP if you feel strong about it, I would keep pressing the HR but with a reasoning - e.g. you are genuinely worried about the health of the colleagues, protecting NHS, and the potential effect on the company's future etc., plus the clear illegality of the proposed party, and this is very black and white IMHO.

Well done for doing the responsible thing. I definitely wouldn’t have attended and I’m shocked your CEO signed it off.

@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.

Not a chance in hell would I be taking part and they could shove their not optional where it hurts most! They cant dictate what you spend your own money on

I feel for you, OP. I'm under big pressure from my manager to do an indoor Christmas lunch (Tier 2 but exploiting the business meeting loophole) with a group of people who have multiple kids in school etc. I've been so careful this year. Wish I could raise it with HR, but I'm afraid if the blowback.

It's a bit after the fact but I'm with you and would have questioned it.

They'll have a job going out for drinks afterwards anyway unless they're going to someone's house as they can't go out in groups of more than 6 and it will have to be outside.

This is why we haven’t stamped out the virus yet!

You did the right thing OP. I will shortly be doing something very similar for my own enforced office party.

I don't believe there is any ambiguity in the rules, I do believe some people fancy a piss-up and it suits them to think they can justify it as a business meeting. FGS be a grown-up and wait until the Summer for your party.

We had a retirement lunch party in work last week in lockdown (tier 3). I couldn’t believe it. I stayed 10 mins and went back to work as people were not distancing, no masks as eating, chatting etc. We are a hospital, so should know better. Also, to me, my priority is my kids being in school, not making small talk with colleagues, and I won’t jeopardise that for any non work reason.

You did the right thing. I am shocked that HR have suggested it. It’s clearly against the rules, and rightly so. A company has a duty of care towards its employees, never mind health and safety.