AIBU .. to work on 19 September?

[ImJustMadAboutSaffron]

It's the first day back at work for me and the first day of freshers week. Of course the student activity planned for the day will not take place but I'd got several meetings planned with colleagues and student ambassadors as well as a couple of employers. These meetings will affect what we do in the rest of the week.

It's not about not showing respect or not caring about the queen and nothing whatsoever to do with the social side of university or drinking activities. Yes we can rearrange some things. But it's going to be rather awkward and have a knock on effect on the following week when the returners come back.

If the others are amenable - and I'm aware they might not be - I want to have the meetings, probably on Zoom.

AIBU?

im not sure that is true. Agency staff in my org will not get paid.

If you ask them to come in for the meetings what compensation will they get? Will they get a day added to their leave or paid?

My son works in hospitality in a hotel. He won’t get the day off. I think people forget how privileged those of us who work in those organisations like schools etc are to just get the day off with no issues at all. Ambulance staff, nurses, Tesco staff, prison wardens, pub staff, restaurants will have no say as to whether they physically get that day off or not.

It's nothing like that at all. It will mightily stuff up the schedule to not have these meetings. I'm not going to force or make anyone have a meeting and they're at liberty to say no without any issues. Alternatively they might think like me which is fine. If they don't then we'll have to think outside the box. Nobody is going to report me, it's just not like that.

As for the funeral I won't be watching as I'll find it too upsetting but I'll catch up on the news bulletin. I was in pieces with Phil's funeral, this will be a tough watch.

It's not about coming in, as I won't be going in. They're students and employers, not my employees. I'm talking about a quick zoom.

I may have to work. I work for a small business and we start getting busy this time of year. To be honest I'd go into work, I don't want to watch the funeral and nothing will be open.

I will work for half a day, as planned. I run my own business so can choose what I do. I have some clients booked and will give them the choice of carrying on or rescheduling.

And they may want the day off. doesn’t matter if it’s a quick zoom. It still means planning their day around work.

Yiu certainly shouldn’t be floating this to students, who may think they can say no. Even if you tell them they can.

If you employers want you to engage in work that day, have that conversation with them let them decide

If you work for university it will be closed for the BH and whilst it is fine for you to do your own work, I think it would be completely unreasonable to ask colleagues to attend meetings on that day.

Good grief you can't suggest this to students! There's all sorts of things wrong with that power imbalance. YABVVU.

I don't work Mondays and have been shafted with fair and equal holiday entitlement with a colleague who does work Mondays. On the day of the funeral I'm working covering a colleague who is on annual leave. What's the betting we will be working and I'll be shafted again?

So you are asking them to work on a day they are entitled to be off work? That is dreadful! What makes you so important that you can pressure colleagues to work when the organisation you all work for has said they do not have to work?

You would get reported at my place of work for treating staff that way.

And agree even worse to ask students.

yes, that’s what I mean - I get no bank holidays off, unless off shift or taken as leave. I will have the total added to my leave balance. But I will have to work the funeral day- as will most people in the company I work for, unless rostered off.

It depends what your VC says. Personally I doubt we will be able to go into our office.

Well I'll be working too. I work in a hotel and we will be open as usual.

Sorry OP I work in a closely related sector and nope this would not be well received. It's sets the tone that you are working because otherwise arrangements might not be as good, and colleagues can refuse to work, but if they had any sense of duty and responsibility to the students (like you do, well done you) they'd be just joining these quick calls on a bank hol. That's what people mean when they say people will feel pressured....it's a clear implication that you think it would be better if people did, even if you verbally say they don't have to.
Don't do it. People will pretend they are fine about it because they won't want to be that person 'not thinking of the students' but they'll be fuming in their heads.

I'm self employed and scheduled to run a workshop on 19th. I've just cancelled it. I won't get paid but I want to watch the funeral.

Rejig the meetings for this week.

It's never just 'a quick zoom'. You are either in work mindset for the day or you aren't, you're asking people to not switch off on that day. And by saying you personally are willing to work you are setting a standard that then makes it hard for others to say they'd rather not, because they'll worry they might be perceived as less dedicated than you. I suspect you know this really, you just can't help yourself. You wouldn't have asked the question if you didn't know deep inside that there will be people won't like it.

Oh and in your OP you are clear it's not just one meeting, it's several.

I put yabu, because people might feel awkward about saying no.

This is what people mean by a toxic work environment - you don't 'have to' work but some arse always makes it clear they think you're slacking if you don't.

Where everyone had to work on rotas etc everyone is in the same boat at least.

If it’s so quick. Do them on the Friday before. Around the other peoples schedules.

You can work but YABU to expect your colleagues to