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.

@TonkinLenkicks - I thought that “tinsel karaoke” over Zoom was bad enough, but yours sounds worse the trouble with it being on zoom is that it is hard to find an excuse to get out of it.

@nearlynermal

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.

I really feel for you You shouldn’t have to be placed in that position. They have a duty of care towards their employees.

Even if people aren’t concerned about catching the virus, they would surely want to avoid being told that a close contact has tested positive and they now have to isolate (hence scuppering plans to meet family etc over Christmas). That would be a pragmatic way of pitching an objection.

Update: the idea of going out has now been completely scrapped and they’ve said they’ll be ordering in drinks instead. I don’t think there’s much more to do. They’ve outlined all the covid secure guidelines that they’ll theoretically be following...I know that’s all going to go out the window once they’ve had a few, but I can’t really say that. Will probably bring it up with the people I manage and just confirm that there’s no obligation to attend.

Yanbu. I'm nhs and even though we work closely with doctors and other ahps all day we have cancelled our in house Christmas meal/ secret santa as its increasing the risk that people won't socially distance and people from different offices areas will be mixing when then wouldn't normally. We've already had lots of covid at work (I had it back in april) but now with the testing it's much much easier to only isolate a couple of people from one area than if everyone had to that had been to the Christmas meal.

The fact that most of your company wfh normally and would only be meeting up to have the Christmas do is crazy, not to mention selfish and irresponsible.

Well done on speaking up. As senior myself (with plenty of higher up seniors too) I would have emailed back as well. It's my job to protect my juniors and to question policy that I think is unsound. Especially if that puts junior members of staff in a dilemma of putting work social activities before their health. It also means I'm protecting my patients and my family and friends.

For those that have criticised OP, don't forget it's now officially flu season too. The hospitals are getting fuller of normal winter cases and the whole bleeding point of all the social restrictions is to try and help the nhs cope. I'm not front line and I will going on mat leave at Christmas, but my patients are massively affected by the restrictions and my pregnancy, birth and postnatal care have been and will continue to be as the rates are still high. Yes I do expect everyone to make small sacrifices as many people are making huge ones.

Looking after your team like you've said in your last post sounds sensible OP, hopefully those that go don't end up all isolating and dumping their work on the rest of you!

@Stellaris22

It is an exclusionary thing to do though.

Lots of people are understandably very cautious or unable to go for health reasons (themselves or people they live with).

Organising a physical get together excludes those people.

I was going to post the same thing. Luckily the OP has confirmed that it is now not going ahead in another venue, but to have even organised it as they did was not very inclusive.

I agree with the OP for saying something. ""It's none of my business" is not true. It's everyone's business that we get this virus under control. The organisers know that some people won't be comfortable with it. Everyone should be comfortable with an event. Everyone should feel included and safe. This year, they should be doing the right thing, which is an admittedly naff but safe online event, or nothing at all. It's not about the law, it's about civic responsibility, we shouldn't need this to be spelt out.

OP, you lost me when you dragged the fact your CEO is male.. Did you feel empowered as a woman to send covid email? Does it come to that now?

The organisation I used to work at banned alcohol at any office get-togethers following a member of staff falling/jumping out of a high-up office window during a boozy do.

There are different guidelines for business events.

business meetings - not parties.
ask if you can WFM after the others have been at this event - you need to isolate from them

report the organisation and the organisation hosting the event (England and Wales)
www.met.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/c19/tell-us-about-possible-breach-coronavirus-measures/

@Iwonder08

OP, you lost me when you dragged the fact your CEO is male.. Did you feel empowered as a woman to send covid email? Does it come to that now?

My intention wasn’t to drag him. There is, however, a very macho culture among the senior management team in my workplace (all men): lots of raised voices, fist thumping, even swearing at each other within earshot of the rest of the office.

So I was taking exception to the suggestion that I would be making him ‘feel bad’ by politely questioning this planned get together. I’m sure he can handle it.

My partner went to the pub yday with his mates from a club/hobbie he attends and they all got served alcohol without getting food. We are in tier 2. I was shocked.

[quote EveryDayIsADuvetDay]report the organisation and the organisation hosting the event (England and Wales)
www.met.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/c19/tell-us-about-possible-breach-coronavirus-measures/[/quote]
Totally agree with this, I think you can report anonymously OP.

Some bars in london are serving drinks without food. So I heard anyway

I do hate it when people seek to inflict their own idea of what is acceptable re. Covid regulations on everybody else. It seems to be getting more and more prevalent these days. OP if you don't want to go, don't go, they've given you an out so you don't have to accept. But don't ruin it for everyone else and don't take the position that YOU ARE RIGHT and YOU MUST MAKE YOUR MORAL OBJECTIONS KNOWN TO SET EVERYONE ELSE ON THE RIGHTEOUS PATH because it irritates people. Business meetings and work events are allowed under tier two restrictions and this has been made very clear. The government have had them. Don't spoil it for everyone else, don't you think there are others for whom this might be much needed? No one likes a spoilsport or a busybody.

I think you're right to question it.

I had a similar thing where management was encouraging people to meet up in small groups & I felt very uncomfortable with this. This may be because I'm older, more medically vulnerable etc as others didn't see a problem.

We all have to do what's right for us, but I think some business decisions being made at the moment are questionable (eg telling people they can't work from home etc)

There are only two people who read that email: HR person and CEO.

Then I think you did the right thing. If it had been something that all colleagues were reading and that sounded accusatory to those who'd already accepted, I might have said 'don't go, step away, and pick your battles'. But bringing it up with HR and the big boss sounds the right thing to do. If only so that it makes them give your colleagues the full picture before they accept or decline.

I agree with you OP. I think at best it's irresponsible for a business to encourage going out for drinks.

One of the companies I work closely with has just lost a very valued member of their team this weekend to covid. For me, everybody should be able to cope without the standard Xmas piss up for 1 year.

@Elfieishere

There is always one jobs worth moaner in the office. That’s you.

Given the current climate, that seems such a ridiculous statement, but any excuse to be dickish eh?

@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.

'My oven's packed up and the delivery/installation of the replacement isn't until the 23rd/I can't afford a new one'

Either they buy you a new oven and installation or they leave you the fuck alone.

“There is always one jobs worth moaner in the office. That’s you.l

It’s me too and I don’t mind if that’s what people think. We are not an office though but a hospital, and I’m just happy coming in and working and then going home.

Maybe it’s because I’m part time and have got loads to do at home.

glad the cancelled going out i guess theres not alot you can do about the office party

@Elfieishere

There is always one jobs worth moaner in the office. That’s you.

It’s a pity there’s only one jobsworth moaner in her office taking Covid seriously enough to question whether the social gathering is appropriate under the current circumstances.