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?

Unless there is a very good reason then I totally agree with you, it shows inflexibility and a unwillingness to work with the company. I suppose they are happy where they are at work and don't want to put the effort in to progress.

It might be a non-working day but it was agreed she made the change if the business required it, I would say the business requires it.

This, you sound like a shit employer OP who doesn't seem to be able to access that staff have rights and that for some, life comes before work. You cannot penalise them for not working in their off day! what do you not understand about it???

Team morale building events are just wanky bullshit and have virtually nothing to do with ability to deliver projects. DH has been on some which can range from a golf day to digging a garden or hanging wallpaper.

No, they shouldn't be required to attend these. They are almost certainly still doing their job if they don't.

You are being ridiculous.

If you want them to attend then these events need to be organised on their working days. You say they’ve recently reduced hours yet you’ve already asked them twice to move their day off.

if someone’s chosen a Tuesday as the day off rather than a Monday or a Friday there’s probably a good reason for it. I have Wednesday off, I couldn’t just move it to a Tuesday or a Thursday because there’s a medical reason that it’s Wednesday.

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

Sorry, but these sound like absolute bollocks, management speak non-reasons for an event. This sounds like a low prioirity nonsense ‘team day’ that I would be delighted to fall on my non-working day so I could get out of it.

The OP only thinks childcare is the only reasonable excuse for taking a day off in the week.

BTW if a child has a disability until they are an adult they need childcare regardless of whether they are in secondary school or not.

(Sorry sure you know this but the OP clearly doesn't.)

Do you offer flexibility both ways eg. can she swap her day off if she needs to attend a school nativity?
If so then I would expect her to swap her days if given plenty notice of a special event and as long as it was only very occasionally

Loving the way OP thinks making someone come in on their day off is good for morale.

'Understanding company culture' and 'morale' yeah I wouldn't want to come in either for that sort of bullshit so-called training!

If they were happy to attend 9.30-2.30 around the school run that would be great but then another day they'd have to work just 3 hours and it's not really the same as a full day off. So really they need to work a full day which causes them a childcare headache.

I'm just not sure swapping the day works very well, it seems it causes more hassle for the employee than it is worth.

As someone who previously worked a 4-day week, if was made clear that swapping my non-working day for e.g. training was entirely my choice and I was never pressured to do so. This is how it should be managed.

Why should an employee be extra flexible? If you don't care enough to arrange events that fall on everyone's working day, why should they rearrange their week to suit?

You clearly didn't word it properly when you negotiated her new contract

She now thinks Tuesdays are her non working day

'team morale'

Their morale must be on the floor if yours is the kind of attitude they face in work.

Looks like the growth you're offering for this employee just isn't attractive enough to give up their day off.

How does the business require it? It doesn’t sound like a training day or conference or any learning event. It’s not work or project delivery. It sounds like ‘team building’ bollocks.

Totally - glad I don't work there.

"Team morale" would be enhanced by you respecting the flexible working pattern you have agreed to far more than any 'team building' nonsense.

I think you and your company are completely unreasonable.

Saying the person will be available for critical project delivery is one thing. Being available for this type of thing which is not by any stretch of the imagination critical is quite another. You do realise that if you’ve agreed she can not work on Tuesdays apart from “business critical project delivery” this is part of the terms of her employment? If you keep holding essential activities on her NWD and pressuring her to come in for non-BUSINESS critical activities you could be breaching employment law.

If you are not happy with the arrangement then you need to start a formal/ legal process to change it back rather than passively aggressively trying to undermine it.

And if this is your attitude I have a very hard time indeed believing your claim that you are all about work life balance- there could be thousands of reasons why coming in on a Tuesday is difficult for the employee but it sounds like you don’t give a monkeys.

I agree that this sounds like a situation where you would breathe a sigh of relief that it falls on your NWD.

Lol no you are clearly not 'all for work life balance'.

Why would they need to say they weren't coming to something on a day they don't work on? They probably assumed that was a given. 🤔

I don't need someone to help me grow
Go to work
Do your job to the best of your ability
Go home

Quite right op - probably best to concentrate on your more compliant employees.

Tuesday is the worst possible day to take off!

Was it you who agreed to the request but insisted on the day being Tuesday? 🤣🤣🤣 bit spiteful Friday or Monday is much better

And new flexible working law says anyone can ask for it and they do not have to give a reason why they need it. It doesn't matter why they need that Tuesday off what only matters the impact on the business