Work event for 350+ people

[Loloball]

A work event has been organised, employees are expected to attend, not outwardly said but I think it would be frowned upon slightly if we didn’t attend. It’s for 350+ people at the end of august, mostly clients of the business. I don’t feel happy attending because of covid, but am not sure if I’m being unreasonable. It is indoors and will last approximately for four hours. Am I being overly cautious not wanting to attend or perfectly reasonable. Normally I attend. This year I don’t want to. I haven’t even set foot inside a restaurant, only eaten outside so perhaps I have lost touch.

Is it a corporate event?
I'd avoid, and catch up on whatever pish message they're delivering via a slide deck.

YNBU I've been double jabbed and have been going in to work throughout the pandemic but there's no way that I would willingly spend 4 hours at an indoor event for that many people. It seems a really irresponsible thing for your employer to organise.

Get "pinged" the day before!

@memberofthewedding

Get "pinged" the day before!

From aug 16 no need to isolate if been in contact with positive person. Just test daily

What an irresponsible organiser whoever has set this up is. A business putting itself at risk of having many of its team or clients either having to self isolate, or indeed pass on Covid to people, some of whom will not have been vaccinated. Who may then pass it on to vulnerable family members.

If you have never missed one, then a bad stomach on the day or some other reason not to attend seems a sensible thing to do. As you have not been to other events, or on holiday abroad, I doubt if it will be frowned upon as much as you think.

I work in school, those places where no one has been protected for months (not true btw). We won't be having our usual Sep INSET day with 150 staff together this year. It's just madness, from so many aspects. It gives a message that the employer doesn't care about staff and if someone does catches something, that could be your whole workforce out.

I wouldn't be particularly worried over serious health problems now I'm vaccinated, but that doesn't mean people won't get sick and need time away from work. I don't want all my people in one room atm.

What is the event and why is it so important it goes ahead?

Yanbu. Daft thing to do this year.

Yanbu, I would go happily, but I totally get why others are reticent, your employers are out of order if they demand this imo.

You don’t fancy it, it’s a big leap to go from no indoor events to 350 people. Would be different if your immediate team. I’d suggest writing to your company early to say you’d feel extremely anxious and that it’s too risky for you to feel comfortable, so won’t be attending. We’re all supposed to be using our common sense and making our own risk assessments now I think, and having an unnecessary indoor party for 350 would be too much for many people who have continued to be very cautious.

YANBU
The event is madness and should be avoided.

That’s ridiculous,. I wouldn’t want to go either. Do you have to go or will it be frowned upon, if you don’t go?

You could go for the start, be seen early on, and duck out after half an hour. If there's that much drinking happening nobody will notice you left, and you'll avoid the worst of the risk.