To expect staff to keep this day free, even if not contracted to work?

[Newyeargrinch]

Senior manager in a small business that has just paid out a considerable amount of money to sponsor a local event towards the end of the year (think Xmas fair). This could potentially bring in a lot of good publicity and business for us. The success of the event depends on having plenty of staff present to represent us. The event is on a Saturday. Some staff work Saturday anyway, some alternate Saturdays. Others are weekday only, some full time, others part time. I know full well that if we asked for volunteers or left until nearer the time, certain staff would come up with reasons why they couldn't help. Therefore an email has gone out to all staff, informing them of the date and saying we expect them to keep it free to attend this event (they will get an extra day off in lieu). Several staff replied to say they didn't know their plans that far ahead as yet but, if free, would be happy to help. We've replied that, if they have nothing planned, they can keep the day free and will be expected to help.

It has been fed back that many staff are unhappy and say that we cannot dictate what they do with their spare time.

I think it's a small ask, they've had 10 months notice and it could bring a lot of extra business our way, ultimately benefiting them!

AIBU?

Not really, there are some appalling managers out there.

It's how it has been phrased though that's rightly winding everyone up.
Letting people know the date and saying we know it's December and a busy period and far away, but it's important for the business and we would appreciate as many volunteers as possible and you'll get a TOIL day ( is that instead of being paid ?) - all good.

Telling people that they are expected to keep a Saturday in December free to work, regardless of what crops up is not so good.

It's a good amount of notice but no, if you need folk in on a Saturday who aren't scheduled to work, you need to give them a damn sight more than a random day off. How about a bit of bonus pay?

If you want to reserve their time, you have to commit to it and pay for it. Why not just actually pick the people you want to work?

You don't get to dictate time that you might not then even use...

Trust me they can. I'm in HR but as a self employed consultant and the amount of small businesses who come to me utterly perplexed as to why they don't have an engaged and motivated workforce is astounding. When questioned on what they offer staff and what they expect in return, there is almost always absolutely nothing beyond the statutory benefits they are required to offer by law, in return for long hours, no progression, or shit, inconsequential things like free fruit in the office. They don't want to hear it. They think staff should just feel grateful to be employed.

I'd bet quite a few of your staff and hoping to find alternative employment between now and then.

YABU and you've made it harder for yourself imo.
If my boss said "hey, I know it's a big ask but we have an event on this Saturday before Christmas. It could be really beneficial for the business. If you could come along that would be really helpful and we'd give a day off in lieu." I would absolutely try my best to make it happen and with a good attitude too.
Telling people what to do in the way you have was never going to work out well.

You can ask but you cannot, repeat CANNOT, expect.

What gets into people? It’s interpersonal communication 101: ask, don’t tell. Realise that you are talking to other people whose lives don’t revolve around you or your business. You employ them under mutual terms expressed in a contract: you don’t own them.

With that attitude it would be a big no from me.

A polite ask explaining what it would mean and asking for volunteers I would probably say yes.

YABVU
We've replied that, if they have nothing planned, they can keep the day free and will be expected to help
That's not on at all. "be expected to help". I'd be furious if I got that email.

You handled this very badly. You should have offered to pay overtime and then asked for volunteers. I think you would have got enough people to do it if you had done that instead of wanting to do it on the cheap.
What do you expect people to do about childcare etc?
And TOIL? Yeah, great, but they are still going to have to organize and pay for childcare.
Also, December is a very busy time and you really need to give an incentive to get people to give up a Saturday for this bullshit fair

i imagine the OP is busy printing this thread off to show to management and hasn't time to come back and confirm that it's a reverse.

More likely it's not a reverse and we'll never see the OP again.

Senior manager in a small business that has just paid out a considerable amount of money to sponsor a local event towards the end of the year (think Xmas fair).

And OP help me out here why is it people do what you've written above before actually asking those that you're expecting to do the helping out first.
I very much doubt any worker was holding your arm up your back while you were typing.

You make it sound like you booked it because the workers said yay go for it and then they backed out.

Well if your posting style here is anything to go by, you’re lucky you have any staff.

It baffles me that so many shit managers don’t seem to understand they do not own their staff and dictating what they should do on their free time because you’ve decided a publicity stunt is benefitting them at some unknown time in the future is probably the last in a long line of terrible decisions you’ve tried to inflict on them.

Apologise, offer double pay, and go on a management training course because you are terrible at your job despite being paid a lot more than the people doing the actual work.

ultimately benefiting them!

how does it benefit them? They get a salary or wages, if you go bust they get another job.
what is this benefit ? Do they get a share of the profits of the company?

Totally unreasonable. You cannot expect your staff to care about the business as much as you do. To them, it's just a place where they work and its needs are secondary to their own lives, families, hobbies or whatever they do on a Saturday.

I think the initial email was worded wrongly and got peoples backs up.

It should have been worded along the lines of we have the opportunity of promoting our business/the company at X event this year which takes place on Y date. We think this is an excellent opportunity for our company to promote Z, generate more business raise our profile. Therefore, we would like X number of people to represent the business. It will be for approx 6 hours on Y date and will be a fun event with X Y and Z perks. In the first instance if you are interested in being a part of this opportunity please contact XYZ not later than Z date. If you don’t get enough eager volunteers then you can think of other ways to recruit staff to work. This email just seems to have wound everyone up, the rot has spread and no one wants to be seen as the saddo of putting their life on hold just incase they are required to work at a date in December months off it feels like you are dictating to them. Guessing you sent the badly worded email OP or instructed someone else to and its backfired.

I say the following as someone who has happily stepped in on weekends before to assist with 'Fun days'/fayres/fundraiser charity days, etc, and generally always had good times, as I've genuinely enjoyed most of the events themselves (however, they've generally always been summer events, I would definitely be more cautious in the weekends leading up to Christmas).

think it's a small ask, they've had 10 months notice and it could bring a lot of extra business our way, ultimately benefiting them!

What are the actual benefits to your employees? TOIL? No thank you. My weekends are a lot more valuable to me than a random weekday off (which is why I do a Monday - Friday job, and wouldn't apply for any job that requires weekend/shift work; I acknowledge that these are not the jobs that are suited for me).
Clearly, the weekend is more valuable to you, which is why you are desperately trying to convince staff to 'save the date' with ten months' notice. It's not a 'small ask', and you should acknowledge that (with some better incentives to your staff).

Make it worth their while. Unless you are a cooperative, it is your job to incentivise your employees appropriately for anything over their contracted minimum.

Do you really need everyone to work?

my work has our annual staff conference on a Saturday and we get a day off in lieu. It’s pitched as a “it’s good if you can come but no pressure”.

it’s their day off and if they don’t want to or can’t you can’t force them

You don’t get to dictate what people do outside of work hours. You can ask for volunteers but that’s completely up to the individual who takes that up.

I’ve come across the same in the public sector. All take, take but no give for things like leave to attend a funeral.

If you want people’s time, you pay for it.

They don’t work for you out of the goodness of their hearts.

Yes this.
Just book in their time as per a normal rota, if it doesn't happen you have to pay out a day's wages for a few staff at probably minimum wage, who could be deployed possibly in other locations.

I work set days and it's in my contract that I can be expected to work any time and anywhere but in reality I would be asked if I could rather than told to work a day outside my usual rota. I'd also be able to choose when I got my day back. To demand a Saturday just before Christmas is massively unreasonable, you ask and expect some declines.