To think we shouldn't have to work the day before Christmas Eve?

[blinddoorshyt]

I work in a bathroom shop.
We are closed over Christmas and were lead to believe we broke up on the 22nd
Turns out now we don't
On the 23rd we have to travel to Manchester (3 hours each way ) to have a buffet and games with the company owner.
We have to listen to a presentation on how the company's done this year.
If we don't go we will have a day deducted from our salary.
It's the day before Christmas Eve and we have to drive to Manchester to have picky food with the owner and play Christmas games.
Aibu to think it's ridiculous?
And we have been repeatedly told if we don't go we won't get paid and it will halt any progression in the company !

I bet once you are all back at work, you will find out that hardly anyone went.
Especially shop floor staff who live a long way off.

Another patronising post from somebody who clearly hasn't RTFT.

Yes I think it's very unreasonable, given no expenses and having to do the travel in your own time. But I'm more invested in this "black eye Friday" you've mentioned several times.

And much like during Covid when NHS workers on here were moaning to supermarket workers that THEY had to wear masks so the supermarket workers must suck it up even though the latter chose jobs where mask wearing wasnt involved, the OP DID NOT choose to do that type of job either.

I would love to be paid 2 days before Christmas just to eat food and play games. I work at a nursery and we always have to work Christmas Eve until 1pm (unless it’s a weekend). It’s the most pointless thing ever, we just stick Peppa pig on the I-pad and hope no potty training kids sh*t themselves. Last year (I think?) because Christmas Eve was on a weekend I had to work the entire day (22nd) and do a deep clean whilst I had a full class of kids and some apprentice students to be in charge of. Meanwhile other rooms had less so loads of staff got to home early. I had a child there until past closing time, was pregnant and exhausted and still got whinged at in the New yr because I hadn’t gotten round to cleaning the skirting boards.

But would you be happy to drive for 6 hours in heavy traffic to do so?

Didnt benefit my dad much who died two months ago after an unsafe discharge.

Bit of a pain having to travel for something for company whim but if fuel.paid and free and easy day I would just suck it up. Some of us are working Christams eve and over the holidays so doesn't seem that big a deal to me but the travel would. X

Never heard that phrase before.. had to look it up...

I’ve travelled longer than that to visit relatives I didn’t really want to see, spent a few hours bored out of my mind, had to pay for a takeaway I didn’t want, it cost a fortune in petrol, and it was during my Christmas holidays. I can understand the annoyance she’s facing but people do much more than that for free.

How is it the OPs fault that you cant stand up to your relatives.

What's wrong with not being ambitious? I work in a shop, and I've always had the mentality of showing up to work, doing my job then going home again. I don't take crap (like doing a closing shift then an opening because it's less than the required 11 hour gap) which means I'll never be a manager (oh dear, what a shame, nevermind.) They've tried to get me to do them and I point blank refuse, I always refuse working on a Sunday too. (As is my legal right. I go to church instead.)

Also for some areas of retail Christmas is our quietest period. Unfortunately in others they're open on Boxing Day too, I used to work in a supermarket café and worked a lot of Boxing Days (including 2020 during lockdown! Obviously the café was closed, but it was shit. Should have phoned in sick.)

I think standard in a lot of businesses is Christmas day and boxing day off (bank holidays). Anything else is taken out of your holiday allowance.
Hospitality and a lot of retail have to work Christmas and boxing day too.

For most people having bank holidays off comes out of the holiday allowance.

I have one non BH day off this year - the 27th. Working the 23rd, 24th, 30th, 31st and 2nd.

Quit!

Quit!

I would lose a days pay, take if off and say you have unmovable evening plans and ask for the slides of the presentation to be sent. The pay you lose would be offset by the costs of the trekking about. You might find a local agency can give you a days seasonal work to make it up in any case.

What is so special about the day before Xmas Eve? You're lucky you don't have to work on Xmas Eve. I've never had a job where we didn't have to work on Xmas Eve. Think yourself lucky.

It’s an odd day for a company to do an event like that - usually would be earlier in December. It also shows a complete disregard for employees as human beings who may have a lot going on - be getting ready to travel to see family, etc etc. It would make more sense to dial in and do the company performance bit on zoom, and a social another time not quite so close to Xmas. Depends how important your job is to you though.

Yes, I would do this.

If you're doing 6 hours' extra work for no extra pay and having to fork out for travel expenses on top of that, it's not worth going, is it?

Morpeth to Manchester is a 320 mile round trip. Would your pay that day even cover the petrol? And if there isn't a free car park wherever you're going you'll have to factor in however much it costs to park for 9 hours.

I'd be saying, "Fuck that" and encouraging all my colleagues to do likewise.

This is not the sort of business you should want your career to progress in anyway.

If there's nothing in your contract about travelling to other locations then I'm pretty sure they can't make you do it. Deducting a day's pay in those circumstances would be illegal.

Do you have an HR department? Would you like to send a letter?

OK so you’ve clarified the issue - you understood that you wouldn’t have to work this day, and that all time off comes out of your holiday allowance. But if you don’t go to this event, you will lose a day’s pay. So, firstly see if there’s anything official that states you won’t be working past Black Eye Friday (whatever that is!) If nothing, or if it simply states the shop won’t be open - which is not the same as a non-working day, then you have no argument. What you need to do is challenge your manager with any evidence you have of your expectations being set especially if this has only been mentioned now. People will have made plans. See if you can use a day’s holiday instead (which is presumably what you expected in the first place). Three hours forced travel each way on top of full working hours is unreasonable. I wouldn’t be able to attain childcare for 12-13 hours with just a few weeks notice. From what you say, others will be travelling even further.

With regards method of travel, they absolutely cannot force you to drive. Not everyone drives. If they’re not subsidising travel costs you use whatever transportation you choose. But, I assume you don’t work in the shop alone - can you not all travel together?

To those saying the 23rd is a normal working day, remember this is a potentially sudden change of expectations for the OP. Of course other people get different periods off or have to work all over the Xmas period, it isn’t a competition!

Yes it may be a local colloquialism. Never heard of it!

Yes it may be a local colloquialism. Never heard of it!

Maybe travel more. Or read the thread. I've heard both reading and travel can broaden your mind.

I can't understand the people saying you will have a nice relaxing day and that's it's OK that you have to pay and it's ok that you won't get home until midnight. And that your employer can change your place of work for a day to somewhere a five hour drive away.

Take it as an annual leave day and don’t go