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?

It does seem fine. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for this tyrant employer, who responded as follows:

We've replied that, if they have nothing planned, they can keep the day free and will be expected to help.

That poster is backtracking rapidly because no one agrees with them

Like you say they're not contracted to work. If you came to me with the attitude you appear to have you can guarantee I'd have something else to do.

Honey catches more flies so I suggest that a lot of schmoozing is in your immediate future 😊

I think a lot of people wouldn’t mind - if they got paid for it. I’d possibly do it if I was being paid as I’ve often worked on Saturdays and sometimes Sundays but I always got paid extra for it. I’d be less likely to do it under the OP’s particular scenario though.

This is outrageous. You are not reasonable.

You need to pay them. So if you need 6 members of staff available then offer the shift out on a first come first served basis at an hourly rate of pay.

Personally I’d have told you to fuck off.
You seriously would have sent a message back saying " Fuck Off"
That would be a minimum of a disciplinary in my job but highly likely a dismissal.

Noone can about someone else's business...we all just want to go to work, earn money to pay for our lives. If they had the choice none of them would work and if someone is not contracted for Saturdays then I'd be laughing hqrd at management trying to get me in near christmas. I probably wouldn't even accept at double pay. Family time is more important to people than how your business is.

I think you're being way too cheeky expecting them to drop their lives for your demands.

You expect them to keep the date free..wtf. it's not a save the date

Of course you’re unreasonable to expect staff who aren’t contracted that day to work it - unbelievably cheeky! To try and dress that up as a benefit to them that isn’t guaranteed and will ultimately actually only be worth it for you is staggeringly audacious. That’s a you problem, deal with it yourself and stop putting on your non contracted staff. Next time, be wiser and think more carefully about sponsoring an event that you have no staff to facilitate. Pricey lesson learned and serves you right.

People don’t care about your business as much as you do, and why would they? Sorry to be harsh, but businesses drop people when no longer needed, as it’s ‘a business decision’
why should people value business more than other areas of their lives
this comes from a former over worker

So you want them to give up a Saturday in December to work for free 😅

I wouldn't want to do it for no benefit to myself. Perhaps if you offer an appropriate rate of pay you'll get more volunteers.

There is no way I would go into work on my day off unless:

1. It were paid
2. It were optional so if I had something else I needed to do I could opt out
3. I had sufficient warning in advance

YABVU if you think otherwise.

YABU. "if they have nothing planned, they can keep the day free and will be expected to help." You haven't asked them, you have told them. A day off in lieu isn't going to cut it esp if childcare is involved. Ask for volunteers, and offer to pay them double time.

Exactly this. A day off in lieu for working for free to boost the company profile? At the very least OP you should be putting your money where your mouth is and offering time and a half payment in addition to a day off in lieu, but even with that carrot dangled I imagine those with caring responsibilities, or those who have real lives which don’t centre around your company, or those who see working for you as a job not a life style choice, would decline the offer.

3 Saturdays in December and you expect people to give up one for TOIL. Literally zero incentive.

“Will be expected to help” shows breathtaking entitlement when it relates to people’s own free time. You need to ask and make it worth their while. Show some respect!

I would have asked for volunteers to cover on a rota so that no one needed to be present for the entire thing and offered a full day in lieu as a thank you.

To be Frank, my family is my priority not work. And I wouldn’t work a contracted day for one in lieu as I have my child care set up for mon-thurs so would incur additional costs. I also have 3 family birthday in Nov / Dec so whilst I have no plans no I will be doing something to celebrate!

Oh Christ, I’ve just realised it’s in December. No, OP. They would need a financial incentive to agree to it, I’d think.

🤣 you are being very unreasonable. It’s not a contracted day for some of them, it’s Saturday and December. You sound entitled and need to read the room better

It would depend on how you asked them, how you treat them and the general mood. Being told that I'm expected to keep the day free would not go down well with me and I would likely be otherwise engaged. If I had a really good relationship with the company, told I could have another day off in leu of the day or another perk, I would possibly come in. I work for you OP. The benefit I have is the job, but I don't directly benefit from more money coming in, do I? Am I on commission?

It really isn't hard. You want them to work non standard hours you incentives them, additional days leave, double time etc, voucher for supermarket of their choice

Though I would not agree to work any weekends from mid Nov to the NYE due to Christmas catch ups and activities

Shes not making people work the Saturday……. Shes asking for one day out of the whole year that she would like them to work ……its not the same as you are making out. I regularly swap days off as and when needed as it works both ways and sometimes you need time off in the week to get things done that cant be done on a Saturday ( deliveries , trades that dont work Saturday and so on. Our manager is flexable, so im happy to be the same.