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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

983 replies

Newyeargrinch · 19/02/2024 08:47

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?

OP posts:
Sparklesocks · 19/02/2024 10:13

Absolutely not. If it’s mandatory then pay me for my time. If it’s voluntary then ask for volunteers. You can’t do a mix of both. A day off in lieu isn’t really much of an incentive.

Picklestop · 19/02/2024 10:14

I’m actually somebody that might have volunteered, certainly in my younger career ladder climbing stage. But this was be a big get stiffed from me too. I would also be alarmed to be working for such stupid senior managers that signed the company up to sponsor an event without making sure the resources were in place up front.

But this has to be a reverse because no odium would admit to being this stupid.

MorningSunshineSparkles · 19/02/2024 10:14

Yet another example of an employer thinking their employees are their servants to command at will. Enjoy your high staff turnover rates if you continue this.

Octavia64 · 19/02/2024 10:15

Legally a lot depends on the contracts you have.

Teaching contracts for example are basically as many hours as needed to get the job done. However, even then managers ask politely about extra tasks like Christmas fairs and so on because they incur additional childcare costs and are outside of custom and practice.

If your staff are salaried and on "just get the job done" type contracts then you can ask for this but to be honest if you piss them off even then they might call in ill, book annual leave for that day and get out if it those ways.

If they are on specific hours and days contracts then you are well out of order, and often people on those contracts have additional jobs or caring responsibilities. They aren't going to cancel a day at their other job especially if you have not been particularly nice about it.

Zero hours contract, yep you can roster them but they can also turn down the shift or quit.

So basically whatever contract, it's not worth pissing off your workforce which you have just done.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 19/02/2024 10:16

I think it's a small ask

Its a massive ask. You will seriously have pissed your staff off.

Stringagal · 19/02/2024 10:18

I’d help out if I was free, but I wouldn’t know whether I was free until much, much nearer the time.

I don’t know when my family get together will be and I have a couple of friends big birthdays to celebrate this December as well as other traditional Xmas get togethers. I am not going to ask people to set dates 10 months in advance, neither am I going to miss those occasions for a non rostered work event.

You’d have to put me down as a maybe.

Shufflebumnessie · 19/02/2024 10:22

You are being extremely unreasonable asking people to give up a Saturday near to Christmas when it's not in their contract. This arrangement only benefits the business, there is no benefit to the individual even if a measly amount of TOIL (or other incentive) is being offered.
Regardless of whether someone doesn't have any specific plans for that day 10 months in advance doesn't mean you can expect them to give up a precious weekend day with their families / friends / hobbies etc. It'll be the run up to the festive season, lots of people make plans a lot closer to the time.
Personally, I think you've really overstepped the boundaries. You need to get a proper plan in place & apologise to the staff you've upset. I can't see much much goodwill coming from your workforce in the future if you continue to make unreasonable demands on their free time.

PansyOatZebra · 19/02/2024 10:22

I’d be pissed off at this too. Work isn’t everything to a lot of people.

Witchbitch20 · 19/02/2024 10:22

Reading between the lines you have 10 months to either agree decent “terms” for the staff who agree to work, or draft in temp/casual staff for the event.

That should be completely doable for you.

Hobnobswantshernameback · 19/02/2024 10:24

I don't think the OP will be back.....

randomchap · 19/02/2024 10:24

Looks like op isn't coming back. Hopefully she'll have seen how unreasonable she is being and is sorting it out for her staff.

Clueless management style

DrunkenElephant · 19/02/2024 10:27

You expect non-contracted staff to give up a Saturday in the run up to Christmas? With no financial incentive to do so?

Good luck with that 😂

Babsexxx · 19/02/2024 10:30

Lol fuck no! I would of put something along the lines of…..

“There is one particular day in December said date, due to this being around Christmas and understandably a lot of you will have plans.

We are offering a one off opportunity for staff to earn double pay that day on a first come first serve basis those of you already scheduled to work will receive double pay but we do need extra hands! Please get back to me if you think you can help.”

ChateauMargaux · 19/02/2024 10:33

If it is a charity event benefiting the public, you could ask for volunteers ...

NewYearGrinch PLC is sponsoring the Christmas Fete on 27th November. We would also like to staff the xxx stall which provides much needed funds for the Hospice. If you are available to volunteer on that day, you will receive a day off in lieu and be eligible for a prize draw of £150 voucher to spend at Y shop. This is a community event that we as a local business are excited to support. There will be a NYG tent with refreshments for volunteers and supervised festive activities for your family including a surprise for all children under the age of 12.

But... you have missed the boat by demanding staff keep the day free.. and the increase is business is good for the shareholders / owners.. employees are unlikely to feel the direct benefit of this unless you are a company that has a generous profit sharing programme and employees feel part of the business family.

Apologies for the miscommunication... we would like to ensure we have adequate staff available for this event. We invite you to sign up in return for an extra day holiday which you can take in advance or you will be paid for the time you spend at the event on that day.

willWillSmithsmith · 19/02/2024 10:33

One thing I’ve learnt in life, ‘work’ doesn’t give a shit about you they only care about themselves. It would be a no from me.

Whoopaday · 19/02/2024 10:34

I call reverse as no one expects to have all their staff give up a Saturday in December for the same pay as a weekday! Offer double time or time and a half and you’ll get takers. The business might be your baby but it’s just work to others

WinterLobelia · 19/02/2024 10:34

Oh come the fuck on.

Single parents with no weekend childcare for a start?

Like a pp said- you employ them you don't own them.

Mumsanetta · 19/02/2024 10:34

If some people already work on Saturdays, don’t you just roster more people to work on the Saturday and offer overtime to anyone who doesn’t usually work on a Saturday if they want it? I’m sure lots of people would want the overtime as it’s near to Christmas. But let me guess … you don’t want to actually pay people for the overtime, you just want to give them time off in lieu? LOL!

Gettingbysomehow · 19/02/2024 10:36

I have committments/appointments arranged on my days off, elderly parents, other things so that would be a no from me.

dontforgetme · 19/02/2024 10:36

@willWillSmithsmith absolutely!

I would be a very hard no from me op.

Kdtym10 · 19/02/2024 10:36

Are you fucking kidding? I don’t know my plans that far off. But I’m pretty sure it doesn’t involve working on a day I’m not contracted to work!

You might prioritise work but for the majority of people it’s a means to pay the bills. So long as they can do that, literally everything else takes priority.

TheRealKatnissEverdeen · 19/02/2024 10:37

Itscatsallthewaydown · 19/02/2024 08:50

Personally I’d have told you to fuck off.

I said it out loud as soon as I finished reading the post!

GoodOldEmmaNess · 19/02/2024 10:39

What a lot of employee goodwill burnt up. Sponsoring a local event is an opportunity to show a business's pro-social attitudes, its community mindedness, philanthropy, decency. Seems like this business has managed to blow that opportunity to pieces by showing the opposite attitudes to its own staff.

willWillSmithsmith · 19/02/2024 10:41

Gettingbysomehow · 19/02/2024 10:36

I have committments/appointments arranged on my days off, elderly parents, other things so that would be a no from me.

I wouldn’t even need commitments. I could be spending the day with my feet up watching Netflix and it would still be a no. Not because I’m lazy but because I will never go the extra mile for a job again. Unless they were paying me in hard cash and it was purely my choice to do it then it would be a no.

NotFastButFurious · 19/02/2024 10:41

I'm sorry but a day off in lieu is not equal pay back for working a Saturday before Xmas when it's not a normal work day IMO. People have a life outside work and other commitments so they can't just "keep it free".