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?

Before approving this, we agreed they would work on Tuesdays as and when required for project delivery so not 100% set in stone.

Have they done that when needed for actual project delivery, not wanky team building days?

Why should they make themselves available on a day off? If it was really so important that they attend you wouldn't have arranged these events twice on a Tuesday. It seems like you're testing them.

An essential business trip isn't the same as a non essential course. I've given up many weekends for business travel. It doesn't change the fact I wouldn't give up my time in the same way for a non essential course. I see you didn't answer my question.
Also you never said the employee was moaning before? You just said they decided not to attend which is perfectly acceptable

I assume they had good reason to choose Tuesday
Maybe they don't have the car that day
Maybe they take a parent to an appointment or activity
maybe they look after a niece or nephew
They don't need to share this with you
It's not critical they attend
Their reduction in hours was recent. How recent? In that time you've arranged 2 events. How many events have been on their working day?
When it was agreed they'd attend "important " events, whose definition of important is it?
If it doesn't affect their job then no you don't own them

“That doesn’t work for me.”

Is what I say to my employer in this situation. Although my current line manager would never ask me to work on on my NWD (sometimes someone else will who doesn’t know my working pattern.)

Non working day is exactly that.

Childcare, Hobby, CBF, whatever the reason - it doesn’t matter.

Wow. I'm surprised by some of these posts.

"I would be having a word with employee about how flexibility works both ways."

Goodness me.

Exactly this.

Your company takes the piss.

And if it's this important to the team that the employee attends, they shouldn't have booked it on a Tuesday!

No its not bullshit. Employees do their job. Anything extra is a bonus. It's no wonder mental health is so bad and people are overwhelmed and burned out.
The economy isn't in free fall because of the workers, that's bullshit.
Employers want people to work their asses off for shit money. That's bullshit

when someone goes that extra mile, whilst you do everything to accommodate their needs, it shows that they are worth it. IF they don't meet you in the middle you know to focus on the people who do and help them grow.

There's another positive "culture" change for you. Why are you planning business trips/travel over the weekend? Our company ensures, except in very exceptional circumstances, travel is on a Monday as people who work hard and are away from their families mid week, deserve/need their weekends. That is the "culture" in practice in our company.

Those people would moan if they didn't have childcare (their partner/family) available to watch their dc.

I have worked PT for 4 years and not once been expected to work on my day off. I love working at a place (large professional services firm) where women support each other and don’t do things like arrange important meetings on my non working day. Is there a reason they had to be on a tuesday?

The reason behind going PT is actually irrelevant and twice in 2 months seems excessive.

So general consensus on this thread is yabu. By your responses you aren't going to accept this anyway so what exactly was the point in posting?

I had tuesday as my WFH day because it was the quietest day in the office. I think people who just want a day a week and who are trying to accomodate their employer would choose whatever day works best. It's not all about a 3 day weekend.

Wow! So you'll punish this employee for not coming to work on a non-working day. I'm surprised you have any employees.

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

If any of this were true the company would make an effort to arrange these for days where all employee are scheduled to work. Not for nothing, I've seen grievances upheld where management specifically choose dates and locations for mandatory "volunteer" days (go figure) that made attendance harder for an employee.

Sounds like this employee is being indirectly punished for getting flexi agreed.

They don't work Tuesdays and it's not critical that they attend because it's some wanky team building crap.
Would you expect them to give up a Saturday or Sunday as well?
It sounds like you're pissed off that they have a day off in the week. I wouldn't attend either.

You should not be in a position of authority or have any influence over other peoples lives. Jfc

What a load of bollocks. Glad you're not my manager 😂

It’s their day off - it doesn’t matter why. You can ask but always expect a no then you might be pleasantly surprised.

it may well be that if they thought this day had some value to them they’d have said yes, but team morale building days are fairly universally shit

Why should your colleague come in

1. on their day off
2. if you're not even going to pay them for it!!!

You agreed to their day off and then keep thinking on their day off which effectively cancels out what you agreed to!

Why they want the day off or their childcare is irrelevant. They could use it to pay tiddlywinks on the beach- it's irrelevant.

You are being unreasonable.

Maybe they aren't interested in learning more about a company culture that routinely expects its staff to work on their non working days including weekends?

To be truly all inclusive and if you want this person to attend there are 4 other days these events could be arranged for. You know they can't do Tuesdays.

Wow so now you discriminate employees just for doing the job they paid to do cos they don't do more out of good faith. Wtaf am I reading....and you say someone is worth it if they do more but if someone is just doing the job they are paid they aren't worth it...fml you are an awful manager