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 unreasonable at all and I would question commitment from staff that they want to their organisation grow and be a success. It’s plenty of notice and offering a day off in lieu and sounds a really fun way to engage and contribute to growing the business.

Mot everyone cares about "growing the business" even if I did care I wouldn't see it as my responsibility.

If you're just an employee being paid a basic wage and not a shareholder or director or something I don't see how it would benefit you.

Like a PP I wouldn't be keeping it free. If I had been free (and had childcare/the ability to be there) I probably would help but I certainly wouldn't turn down plans to do so and I'd expect to be properly compensated for it (double time for example). After the OPs email I doubt I'd be feeling in the helpful mood though.

If they are not contracted to work on Saturdays, then you cannot compel them to do so, unless you have (as many firms do) a pathetic ‘martini clause’ in their contract that effectively makes them your bitch. If you can’t see this from your perspective, it’s no wonder people are saying no. I have a strong feeling you probably think they ‘should be grateful for their jobs’ and act accordingly. If people are saying no, then you need to take account of this - or up the offer to double time and a day off in lieu.

Sorry but you’re incredibly naive if you think staff care about the business growth as much as senior staff or owners. They are paid to do their jobs, not give up a Saturday near Christmas unpaid for ‘commitment’.

Any company would easily cut jobs should they need to cut costs. That ‘commitment’ doesn’t work both ways.

None of this has any impact on what I wrote, especially as it doesn't address the specific point about expectations of weekend work.

It's clear in everyone's contract that there is an expectation that they will be flexible and will be expected to work open days, some of which fall on a weekend.

Which isn't to say I dispute that you believe what you're writing. I expect you do indeed mean well, you're just unwise to think your subordinates saying a thing you clearly like hearing are telling you what they actually reckon.

Firstly, I would never refer to anyone I worked with as my subordinate 🙄 I find that helps.

I'm not sure if you mean to sound so patronising but I do know what I'm doing and what works best for my team and our organisation. This ain't my first rodeo ...

You don’t get to decide what people do on their day off.

My organisation have in the past and will be doing so again in a few month some very big events. If they don’t go to plan it will not be a good look. They have never once forced anyone/or even said those in that department have to attend.
Instead they have they have asked for volunteers starting with the more relevant departments then gone out to the wider business. They managed to get about 50% of the amount staff they needed so they decided to make lucrative with the offer of either double pay or double time off in lew. Safe to say all the events are now covered months in advance!

It's so frustrating when the OP goes AWOL when the vote goes against her!!

Well it would seem you'd be questioning am awful lot of your staffs commitment, would that make you question your management skills?

Do you value your staff ? This is not the way to treat them . They are correct you can’t and shouldn’t try to dictate how they spend their spare time. Christmas is a busy time , so stop adding extra demands and pressure.

My company buys my commitment Mon-Fri.

If they want commitment beyond that they need to pay for it.

None of this has any impact on what I wrote either. I'm specifically addressing the claim you made about your team appreciating you going in at weekend because you told them. How much they appreciate or don't appreciate things you do clearly isn't in their contracts.

The fact that you're trying to tone police the use of subordinates now is quite interesting. The very nature of you being above them in the pecking order is exactly why you're so naive assuming you can believe it when they tell you things they want to hear. Them being your subordinates is the point here.

If my company wanted me to work on a Saturday for TOIL I probably would if I was free and had no other plans, however close to Christmas no way, unless there was a financial incentive.

Are you paying them to potentially bring in a lot of good publicity and business?
if not you have no reason to expect them to step up and support you . Even with Payment you cannot expect people to give up their days off.

I work in internal communications / employee engagement and it's sounds like the approach you've taken isn't the right one and the tone you're getting also isn't conducive to getting great feedback/uptake...

I agree with this. A couple of times in my life I have been ordered in on a Saturday, when I had young children and no child care - believe me, you do not forgive or forget... well, look at me writing this here now 20 years later! I did it, but that employer lost all by good will, and I resigned as soon after as I could. Nowadays, I can't believe I was stupid enough to do it, anyone with a bit of nouse would refuse on principle! _ should have done, and I still wish I had done.

Don't insist - apologise for the way it came across, and offer an incentive - free lunch, and 2 days of TOIL, for example,

Pay them double hours and see what happens ?

YABVU AND ENTITLED

If my job is mon-fri it's mon-fri. I made sure my contract is mon -fri to provide the work home balance I want. If I wanted to work sat I would have secured a weekend job.

I don't care if it ten months in advance I wouldn't work Saturday.

None of this has any impact on what I wrote either. I'm specifically addressing the claim you made about your team appreciating you going in at weekend because you told them. How much they appreciate or don't appreciate things you do clearly isn't in their contracts.

Well obviously. Perhaps my team member was lying when she said it used to frustrate her at her old university because her old head of department refused to work open days if they were on a weekend and that it's nice to see senior staff getting involved including the vice chancellor.
I'm not sure why this is bothering you so much though?

The fact that you're trying to tone police the use of subordinates now is quite interesting. The very nature of you being above them in the pecking order is exactly why you're so naive assuming you can believe it when they tell you things they want to hear. Them being your subordinates is the point here.

I'm not policing anything. I'm just saying I wouldn't use that language to describe my colleagues. You can refer to your colleagues in anyway you like.
And actually you're incorrect. In my department,and university as a whole, the expectation is that staff at all levels get involved in recruitment events. It just happens to be part of my role to coordinate my department's response. I'm not just asking people I manage. I'm asking a range of people at varying levels of seniority.

@ElaineMBenes for what it’s worth, I think you sound like a nice boss 🤷‍♀️

Thank you ❤️

For my current employer I would absolutely volunteer if I could. They have done so much for me, gone above and beyond with flexible working etc.

but the main reason they are so great? They ask me to occasionally do times outside of my usual working pattern and they don’t hold it against me if I say no

you have to respect that people don’t have to do it. You can’t demand.

Sorry? What? Give up a Saturday for a day in lieu? What incentive is the company prepared to offer to staff to support a commerical venture to enrich the company?

How about offering employees two extra days annual leave for attending this high investment event day? So staff arrive with a smile on their faces.

How about making "think Christmas Fair" - an event they'd also love their children to attend? Sweets? Games? Stalls? T-Shirts? Music? Santa giving out branded chocs? Compeititions and winners?

And how about after this event, making sure every staff member who attended gets a thank you email? And making a photo board of the event? And bringing in pizza or cake and snacks the Monday after for staff to celebrate the event?

If you're going to invest in a big weekend event, make sure you also invest in your staff - to bring that element of "enthusiasm" that will make your event more successful.

And get your company messaging right for the day. What three things do you want to say about your company - and make sure staff can articulate those messages.

^I'm not policing anything. I'm just saying I wouldn't use that language to describe my colleagues. You can refer to your colleagues in anyway you like.
And actually you're incorrect. In my department,and university as a whole, the expectation is that staff at all levels get involved in recruitment events. It just happens to be part of my role to coordinate my department's response. I'm not just asking people I manage. I'm asking a range of people at varying levels of seniority.^

The post of yours I initially replied to refers to you leading and asking people. They may well range in seniority, but you're evidently above them. Quite apart from anything else, you'd have said so before now if they were your bosses or on the same level. They're your subordinates.

The point therefore remains: the people you are speaking to aren't free to give you their genuine opinions, and whatever you happen to think of your own management skills, you're very naive to assume they're all telling the truth when they say things you want to hear. You simply aren't in a position to be able to tell us what they think.