to expect employee to be flexible and attend team event on a day they are usually off?

[traintocatch]

We have an employee who recently reduced hours and chose to have a whole day off during the week -Tuesdays (working week is Mon-Fri). Before approving this, we agreed they would work on Tuesdays as and when required for project delivery so not 100% set in stone. Since they started this pattern we happened to organise team events with external facilitators and 2 of these events were held on Tuesdays. Whilst not critical that they attend, it would be important for their development, their understanding of company culture as well as team morale and really showing that are willing to integrate. We cannot always choose days to suit them. They declined to attend on both occasions and wondered what would be reasonable to expect? I know I would attend and take the day off another time that week?

ooo its management speak bingo....hang on while I get a pen

This. For a second it seemed like you accepted your expectations were unreasonable but then you followed with your next post.

How about you make it fair to the whole team and have everyone work on their non working day by arranging the event for a Saturday or Sunday?

@traintocatch you need to be more careful with your attitude towards this employee or you're heading for a sex discrimination claim as women are more likely to require flexible hours and childcare considerations. In the early years of secondary school I would not have considered my DD mature enough to walk/travel home herself. You are very presumptive and cheeky.

Let's think outside the box and see if we can help OP to get her ducks in a row. For now, it looks like she feels she's herding cats. I'm pretty sure she considered this post as a kind of a brainstorming session. Poor managers. Ever so underrated.

I work compressed hours, full time over 4 days.
I always accommodate request to do things on my day off. My work are very flexible with me and I want to excel in my career so I go the extra mile. I have previously arranged childcare/ paid for an extra day at nursery etc. I know I'll get the money back through pay rise & bonus for being a good employee and everyone knows I'm reliable.

If they won't try to be flexible it's because work isn't their priority and they don't care. Unless there is a serious reason they can't make it?

Then there was nothing that could be done. But the person whose job it is to arrange these things would have clearly seen by the person's absence that Tuesdays was a poor choice. They really fucked up when they booked another Tuesday, especially so close.

Get a grip of that person, get the scheduling improved, and leave this employee to do their job in their normal working week. Just like all your other employees - none of whom have yet been asked to give up part of their weekend twice in two months for team building

I'm really surprised about the responses. The agreement was that she could take Tuesdays off but come in on Tuesdays anyway when required. Such a Tuesday has now come up - it is not her job to decide whether it is crucial or not, it's the employer's, unless they have already been asked to come in many Tuesdays.

I would be disappointed too, OP.

@traintocatch whilst I would always try to avoid this situation you can’t always. Giving two months notice is not unreasonable.

I have always made it clear that flexibility is a two way process. For example if someone who works 4 days asks can they swap their NWD from Tuesday to Thursday one week I would agree unless it really caused a problem. I would therefore see asking them to swap NWD to attend training as a reasonable thing to do.

There is a clear difference between asking and telling. Asking by either party is a reasonable conversation. Accepting “no it’s not possible” is reasonable by both parties.

Telling is not appropriate.

Are you willing to work Saturdays? It's their non working day - they're more than entitled to not work on it.

If they are employed by you, you state the hours/days that are worked and they don't get a say. Because they signed the contract, and presumably your contract has a generic clause about maybe needing to work more/different hours to meet business needs. If not, they need to sign a new contract.

Of course in reality this is theoretical and you'll most likely find that they're repeatedly off sick on the specific day they don't want to be in.

If they want to pick their own their hours, they need to be a self-employed contractor and then they tell you when they're working and you don't get a say.

Do you offer to pay them on the Tuesday. If not and you cf to expect them to come in. Yabu anyway as it's their day off

ding ding ding I have filled 4 corners 😃

The agreement according to the OP was that she come in for project delivery if required. This isn’t project delivery. The OP herself said it’s not critical she be there.

Before approving this, we agreed they would work on Tuesdays as and when required for project delivery

There you are then. A team event is not project delivery.

Everything?

Are you having a laugh?

You didn't do the obvious bloody thing.

Which is to hold these things on any day other than a Tuesday.

To me, it's an indication of how much little they value the job.

They have a Tuesday something or other event on - my art class was Mondays, for example.

Before arranging check with them. There should be no expectation on non contractual working days btw.

What if this employee works somewhere where there are no bonuses? What if there are no obvious compensations for what could be substantial inconvenience? What if she is worried that this will become a regular request that she will struggle to accommodate?

The agreement was that she'd do Tuesdays when required for project delivery. That's not what this is.

I agree with you OP. Unless there’s a logistical reason they really can’t attend on a Tuesday it seems very inflexible, and not in the spirit of what was agreed.

So they've only recently changed their hours and you've already arranged events on their non-working day twice. I see a distinct lack of respect on your end here.

Maybe they don’t want to go?… Or give a shit and just see it as a job. Which it is.

They agreed to occasional Tuesdays when needed for project delivery. Not teambuilding events, ffs. Of course they shouldn’t be expected to work on their day off.

Employee doesn't take Tuesdays off, she doesn't work Tuesdays as she isn't paid to do so.

Subtle but important difference.

OP you need to accept that if people were available every day of the week they would not choose to be working in part-time roles and get a part-time wage...

People usually work part-time because they have other commitments the rest of the week or for part of the day that mean they are not able to work full time.

This is not one of your employee's working days and there does not seem to be any good reasons as to why they should be there anyway, so stop making a bid deal of this.

It is that type of corporate jargon and nonsense that drives good employees away...