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 !

'The King's Speech' made me actually lol and simultaneously cringe. Very David Brent.

You're obviously not going right?

Nope they aren't covering travel costs
All of our shop are going down in 1 car
We are hoping for bad weather so we can get out of it

What a complete arse he is!

You should all just say no. Or pretend you got a flat tyre.

My battery has just died today it's extremely difficult to get a replacement

I can't believe you're even entertaining this. It's ludicrous. The Kings speech! Fucking hell 🙄

This is insane. You've presumably got to leave before 6 am and won't be back before 8 pm? 6 bloody hours of games?

Has anyone spoken to HR about all this? Is anyone in a union?

Maybe if the owner isn't there you can all mutually agree to succumb to mass food poisoning at 2.05 pm?

What does your contract say about travel expenses?

I have never worked anywhere that didn’t cover them and wouldn’t work for someone that doesn’t.

Your boss definitely sounds like a dick, but the painful truth is he owns your day- Christmas Eve is a working day, but you should be compensated for the travel, but there is no possibility of claiming he can't do this, because he can.
I would seriously consider looking for another job and handing your notice in.

The owner not being there is the final kick in the teeth 😂 I’m assuming he’s not based in Manchester and he basically said “ hell
no am I traveling any distance on the 23rd - that would be awful - but the plebs can and what’s more I won’t even reimburse their travel costs”.

He sounds totally egotistical as well as foolish and inconsiderate “the kings speech”.

I can’t believe you’re actually going - it definitely wouldn’t be me.

I’d opt out and take it as leave, who’d even want to progress in a company ran by someone who makes these sort of unnecessary demands on his employees?

Unfortunately this is partly why things like this persist in the UK, too many people go along with it and just quietly moan.

If it's going to be a video call then just say no and ask for the link to be emailed to you so you can join. What an actual pisstake.

It's not Christmas Eve, it's the day before. So probably the busiest travel day of the year. The business shuts on the 20th. Even the prick who organised this shitshow isn't going.

So the fat cat won't even be there!!! Referring to his speech as "The King's Speech" . What an utterly tone deaf wankbadger. Can you pull your colleagues aside and as a group then agree that none of you will be indulging this nonsense. Dragging you all that way for some pointless "games" and a video link speech...if he wants a video link speech then surely they can send you all the link which can be viewed from anywhere.

Exactly this. It's actually really insulting to the staff the way this is being positioned as some sort of treat, given the time and cost impact on them. A few stodgy sausage rolls and some (probably excruciating) party games followed by a video presentation because of course the big cheese is waaay too important to actually travel there himself... there's a definite whiff of 'throw them a few fish and they'll sit up and clap their flippers like good little sea lions' here. Total lack of respect.

I'd find some way to not go even if it involves feigning illness or the car breaking down.

Exactly this.

If all the staff just said, "fuck that for a game of soldiers" and called in sick, there would be nothing they could do about it. Nothing.

@blinddoorshyt Have you or any of your colleagues actually said, "Our contracts do not mention travelling for work, so if you want us to attend this event you have to organise and pay for our travel and give us time off in lieu for the time spent travelling outside of our normal working hours, and if you aren't willing to do this we don't have to attend and it would be illegal for you to dock our pay"?

Because if nobody has actually said that, you aren't helping yourselves and you will continue to get shafted on a regular basis.

No one will have said that- would you?
If you expect someone else to have said it you are expecting too much.
if you say it yourself you either need to be in a union which has some balls (very unlikely) or you need to have you exit strategy planned-because you are not going to have a smooth time at work afterwards.

I would say it, yes. But then I wouldn't stay in a job working for someone with so little respect for their employees.

Flatten a tyre; take a pic on the day at the side of the road and say you've broken down; what a shame; none of you will be there.

Great! 6 hrs of unpaid travelling time to listen to Thomas Crapper give his remote speech…

Again my response would be, fuck that.

And sod all going down to Manchester in one car, are you all going to pile into the receptionists Citroen C1 for the 3 hour journey? No thanks.

The only way you're getting out if this is to just say you're not going.

All of you in one car you say??

it’s a proper piss take he's not even turning up

Your boss sounds like quite the narcissist! Bet he watched Squid games and thought “I wish I could do that with employees” 😂

I need to know if you actually went today OP! I bloody hope not!