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 if they asked but the OP is demanding that staff work. I wouldn't want to work for a company that dictates what I should do on my day off, so yep, I'd be looking for somewhere else.

What sort of event is this that not only requires a small fortune in sponsorship but also then requires the sponsoring company to staff the event as well in order to make it a success?

Benefit them how exactly? Are you planning on offering them a share of any new business that comes in as a bonus?

Or are you just saying it will benefit them when you really mean it will benefit the company and they should be grateful for that?

The fact you have push back on this says a lot about the culture of your company and maybe you should listen to it. If the opportunity for the company was that exciting, in a businesses that had high employee engagement and buy in, this perhaps wouldn't be such an issue.

The fact that you don’t suggests wider issues and perhaps you don't value employees and their time more generally and this request just goes to demonstrate that.
The fact that you’re essentially having to pressure/ force people speaks volumes.

So maybe rather than starting a thread moaning about your staff, maybe you should start a thread to ask for ideas as to how better to engage your employees and build a better relationship with them, that WILL benefit the company.

If an employer suddenly started demanding that I attend an event on a day I wasnt contracted for and made it clear it was mandatory it would absolutely make me consider looking for a job elsewhere for two reasons

I work a Mon-Fri job because I have weekend commitments and I need them free
I would worry that by doing this once they would start demanding it more frequently and it would become a more regular thing

So whilst I wouldn't immediately resign, it would at least have me scrolling linkedin in my free time to see what else was available

Then you have enough time to foster an incentive of wages to entice workers for the day. The cheek!

Pay them more ? Sorry but you can’t expect people to simply take a Saturday off their family time without compensation and only a day in lieu , at least offer them a extra day

Benefit them how exactly? Are you planning on offering them a share of any new business that comes in as a bonus?

Maybe the benefit is the company gaining enough new business to stay afloat and therefore people keep their jobs?
I work at university and work at open days and recruitment events which sometimes take place on a weekend or evening. I don't get a cut of the tuition fees for any students we recruit......I do however keep my job if we recruit enough students to stay viable.

BHS (or at the store I briefly worked at shortly before the company went bust) used to pull shit like this. We had to set up Christmas shop and the company didn't pay us. Well, they bought pizza as a "thank you". During a period of bad weather I'd been going in at 6am to help open the shop for 3 weeks, they didn't pay me for that either. I quit. No one wants to be treated like that. If you want people to do more work, you give them more money and don't insist their time belongs to you.

And was it in your contract, that you would be doing that?

You should have offered a perk for volunteers signing up and committing now to help you plan. And offer them a day off in leiu in addition.

Temp staff to make up the shortfall.

No sorry you can't dictate what staff do in their spare time, and with kids the run up to Christmas is usually a nightmare with Christmas stuff for school and fitting in seeing family.
I would advise asking for volunteers to commit now to working on that day, then see if you have enough cover. You might have to provide an incentive like extra pay though if staff are not normally contracted to work weekends

Anyway, I'll say it again. I reckon this is a family-owned business. There is no HR dept. And OP is one of the family.

That’s a terrible idea

That could easily be construed as ‘you might lose your job if you don’t do this’. That’s just inviting official complaints and tribunals.

It might be part of your role to help recruit students. But it doesn’t follow that doing anything to bring. New business in is part of everyone’s jobs.

You could use the ‘ah you must do this or the business could under’ and apply it to anything. Working late everyday, shift changes, not getting AL, working your days off and so on’

‘work your usual day off and we will attract more business’ is of no benefit to the employee

This event isn’t for ten months. If the company is worried that they don’t have enough new business to stay afloat, sod December - they need to be doing something now.

This is a carrot not stick situation.

You should have said they’d be paid and get TOIL.

And you certainly have handled this really, really badly.

Its not a race to the bottom

Encouraging the erosion of workers rights in order to ensure that business owners and shareholders get plenty of money is not a good way for society to go

Far better to reward your staff fairly and offer incentives for work over and above what they are contracted for

I'm at a loss on how it benefits them to give up their non contracted weekend day. You need to give them an incentive to want to do it!

Unreasonable. If you want them to 100% keep a date in the long distance free you need to pay them for it. As an employee I'd tell you jog on about this unless you were asking me to definitely work it

Is this a joke. Would have been a hard no from me. Very unreasonable to ask of staff

I think it would have been better to put a call out for people to sign up and offer to pay time and a half for those that commit by X-date as it’s something out of the ordinary in terms of their day to day jobs.

Then you have commitment from them to turn up and confirmed numbers as to who will be working on the day.

Massive no from me. Ask for volunteers first with a sweetener if they do. Apart from that no, unless there’s a clause in their contract. I’d have ignored your request and carried on with my life if I wasn’t scheduled to work that day or on weekends.

The only way I see this working is to ask for people to volunteer to commit now to that day - and commit to them being rota'd in return - so both parties know now that it is a firm agreement.

Help smooth the way for those volunteers by offering a good incentive, by way of salary for the day. Double rate, for example.

For many people that still won't be enough to give up a pre Xmas Saturday, but others may prefer the money at that time of year.

If you are ONLY offering a day in lieu, it'd be a No from me too. And if you'd just sent an email saying you expected it (as you seem to have done), it'd be a hard, principled No.

I get time off in lieu for something that happens once a year on a Saturday. It's at approx time and a half (I come in for 2-3 hours and get a half day off) and it's voluntary - I tell them if I can do it or not, about 6w before the event.

you need to replace the hours at time and a half or double time (as it's a weekend), and realise that people won't be able to commit so far ahead.

I have read all of your one OP on this thread @Newyeargrinch, but only some of the responses you have had - there have been quite a lot of them - and I agree with almost all of them.

I have - unfortunately - always been a "yes" person, as I have always loved helping people. I have also hated being confrontational. But even I would have given you a resounding "no" as I cannot stand bullying and/or blackmailing, and it is the one of the few things I will stand up against.

How about sending all of your employees a letter apologising profusely, and saying your previous posts had been unacceptable, and were not meant as presented at the time. I would then be asking them (if my CFery) was strong enough, if they could just make a note of the requested date in their calendar or diary, saying that if they are available on that date, would they mind coming to the event on a normal days wage, but with two other paid days off - except for bank holidays, and any other days the office is officially closed.

You could also start canvassing your own family and friends asking them to help out on the day, and telling them that free refreshments will be provided for them throughout the day, with a meal provided all together after the event. If you really are a small company, then you might like to consider asking any employees that can make that date, to ask their families if they would like to help out - of course under the same conditions your own family has been offered. You would then need to limit how many volunteers you would actually need to use (plus two in case of last minute cancellations), or your expenses could become ridiculous!

Mine are probably very silly suggestions, as the only office type of employment
I have ever experienced was in my "works experience" fortnight when I was 16, about 50 years ago, and I was only filing or making teas and coffees then. However, I have run my own home and family without too many major mishaps, so maybe that counts for something?

There you go again! You are a manager who is probably already, unknowingly, exploiting the goodwill of your staff because they need to keep their job to pay their bills. You're seeing it entirely from your own pov (as a manager) because (as before) you can't/ won't/ don't choose to imagine what it might be like for them.