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?

Just to add it doesn't matter what the reason is. Colleague may just like sitting at home picking their nose on a Tuesday, its a NWD and the business agreed to it.

Well they're obviously under pressure from you to do so

And this... They do all suck, bo one ever wants to be there. Horrendous waste of time, they decrease my morale and job happiness knowing my company paid for this shit. Id feel hapoier if my company gave me a gift voucher.

It doesn't matter if they just don't want to FFS. It's their Saturday. Stop acting like a massive twat

Doesn't over 100 posts telling you you are behind wrong not make you think at all? Seriously?

It's a non-essential event on their day off, there's no need for them to be flexible.

I'm guessing you're middle management?

It sounds like you're deliberately scheduling these events to test the employee in question about how much commitment they have to the company. Are you trying to build a case against them or something? It's like you're setting them up to fail.

"Traintocatch
we have people who are giving up week-ends for business trips and they don't moan. They just go and take time off when they need it."

This company sounds awful! I used to have to travel for my work and was o let once asked to travel on a Sunday - as well as double pay I was given time in lieu

Op, I'm relatively senior and I turn out when needed to deliver something, as I did yesterday (Sunday).

I'm committed to my company but I wouldn't give up a day off for 'team building'. It's just not necessary. I've done team building from film making to paddle boarding to It's a knock out to music yoga and all, without exception, were a completely pointless waste of time.

Don't use up your employee's goodwill on something so needless.

Yeah their flexibility was "I don't work Tuesdays, but I will if its necessary to deliver on a project. "

Not "when you schedule a non-essential work event but you expect me to interpret the fact that you want me to consider it essential so that I pass some bizarre loyalty test you've set without telling me about it and if I fail you'll punish me by focusing on other colleagues careers over mine."

Every post trying to justify your position has made your company seem worse

You’re clearly not going to listen to any of the thoughtful feedback given on this thread

All my team work non standard working patterns (some compressed and some part time). I operate very flexibly - I am clear that my team never have to miss a class assembly/ nativity/ sports day/ taking parents to hospital. I will rearrange anything to accommodate them. In return I do like to encourage flexibility from them on exceptional occasions. I will never schedule something for my team on a NWD, but in the event of a corporate event I will have the conversation to see if they would be willing to rearrange, accepting that it might not be possible. In practice, with enough notice, I don't even need to have the conversation and they will rearrange proactively (even making alternative childcare arrangements) because that is the team culture we have. Realistically it is a once a year ask. I think anything more than quarterly would be an unacceptable ask.

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

So, in your own words, it’s not business critical, you just want them to jump when asked. Sounds like a you problem, not a them problem.

Why are you expecting someone to go the extra mile on a day off?

I have had this and swapped my days around as I didn't have childcare issues. Unless the employee concerned already has plans for the day involved, I think it's unreasonable to say no out of hand. But if they do have plans, that should be it.

Saying you can do something and then cancelling the day before isn't great, but there might have been a good reason, like an urgent meeting at school or needing the dentist.

Thank you all - I obviously got this wrong and will take your advice on board. Very new in my role and sometimes hard to know what's right and wrong. We definitely want to treat everyone well. I

You yourself have said that these days were not critical. Personally, as an adult, I would be pissed off to have someone tell me I needed to go somewhere on my day off "for my own development" and to understand company culture.. that sounds like you have decided you want her to be there so that the rest of the team aren't complaining that she's managed to wriggle out of it, while they have to attend.
YABU.

Anyway OP there is an easy solution to this - don't schedule these events on their non-working day!

She never said she COULD do it though. Op expected it on her nwd.

Ugh, you sound like an old manager I had when I worked retail. Wanted everybody to come in for one hour every Sunday afternoon for a team meeting or some bullshit.
There was nothing said there that couldn't be written down and put on the staff noticeboard.
When I said that I wasn't going to bother, I was told I should put in more effort and loyalty. I only worked two days a week! I wasn't going to waste a big chunk of my Sunday afternoon with my family. Even people who did work Sundays stopped going as they didn't want to hang around for an hour after their shift. Manager gave up after six months as nobody could be bothered with it. He bitched and moaned about it too.

Honestly op, if what you're scheduling on those days isn't mission critical, then the employee doesn't have to be there. Also, team building days that are supposed to build morale usually do anything but.

It’s very possible that she was trying to find a workaround for whatever she is committed to on the Tuesday and had to admit defeat at the last minute.

it's about being there with the team, if they can and want to - not a team building event.

Wouldn't expect them to drop caring responsibilities if that was the case.

I guess I was disappointed when I knew I did everything to accommodate them...

If you are finding such a simple obviously black and white non issue so difficult, perhaps request your own professional development ASAP rather than others

YABU. Being available for project delivery is completely different to "team events". Very unreasonable and the kind of thing that will piss off a good employee.

You sound like you resent her working a 4 day week and taking it out on her. It was a business decision, it was approved, suck it up rather than use every opportunity to discriminate against her because you don't like the arrangement.

Except do it on any of the FOUR other days they are there? Or show them any respect for the fact its the same as your weekend? Them working part time isn't some massive favour you're doing them ffs

Stop digging.

Your last post was fine.
You got it wrong, were happy to listen and adapt.

Now it's back to them owing you something and it's not that they have to come in but that they should want to have to come in and not wanting that is them not actually holding up their end of some agreement that exists only in your head.

It's work, it's not a family