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 !

Book a day off as holiday, if you do not wish to work

The OP has to be in the Manchester shop by 9:00, not leaving Newcastle at 9:00. That will make the ticket a lot more expensive and even though I'm not from the NE I know that line is a pile of poo to travel on.

What is black eye Friday?
I wouldn't work anywhere I couldn't choose my own holidays.

Also inquire with management as to whether they will consider busing, or flying you all up on the same flight?

Can you bring children if you have no childcare before 8:00 am and after 6:00pm?

So you are complaining about being paid to drive to Manchester and back for a (ok, what sounds like a poor) 'jolly' rather than working? I agree about the expenses, of course the cost of this commute should be reimbursed but you can of course claim it back by doing a tax return.

The 23rd is a working day! It amazes me when people moan about working on 24th.....

What does your contract say about place of work, travel time and expenses? I have never worked anywhere that travelling somewhere different for work than my normal location is not seen as a claimable expense.

OP: what does your contract say?

If your base of work is that shop and your job description doesn't include travel then at the very least you should be getting both time and expenses for the travel element.

"Other duties as assigned" does not include self funded six hour trips on the busiest Friday of the year. It covers things like "helping to restock" or "do the filing" when your normal job is talking to customers.

As PP say - bathroom shops come and go and if this one is such a thoughtless employer I'd be looking elsewhere for a job in a better run company. I wouldn't be confident in it lasting more than the normal 18 months for such shops.

How do the other staff feel about it?

I don't know why you're getting so much grief OP, I wouldn't be happy with this either!

A 6hr round trip any day is a pain in the arse, but the Friday before Christmas, when traffic is likely to be worse than usual as well, is really shit.

What if you don't drive ?
I'd take it unpaid or offer to stay and keep the shop open.

She is not being paid to drive to Manchester and back. She needs to be there by 9 and won’t leave till 6 so the driving is on top of a days work.

I don’t think it can all be classed as a jolly either , sounds like strategy/results etc are being presented and discussed

She isn't being paid to drive six hours - she is being expected to fund it and give the time herself. That is the point.

Missing the point?

When was a shop asst expected to drive 360 miles in one day for a mince pie and a pep talk, on the day half the country will be on the move for Xmas?

She's not a sales rep or a snr manager. She's on the minimum wage and was contracted to work in the shop.

That drive on that day will be far harder work than selling someone a new bath.

The lack of sympathy here is astounding.

If you have to go - do use trains and taxis.
You would be rendered too tired after driving for three hours and too dangerous to drive home after a big day.
Will there be alcohol?

@NobleWashedLinen
Have you actually read the whole thread?
The day involves at least 6 hours of travel, probably more, which is not being reimbursed. Plus activities from 9am to 6pm. Effectively being out of the house from 6am to at least 9pm.

It's going to cost you at least £60-100 to travel by public transport, so I would simply say you cannot afford to spend that on public transport and not get it back, that's the cost of a week's shopping, and offer to go in and help with rearranging the store for the influx of post Christmas visitors who want bathroom refurbishment advice instead.

It's a normal working day. As is Christmas eve.
The timing for travelling a long way is inconvenient, but unless you're taking annual leave OR it's written into your contract that you don't work that day then you have to work. They should definitely be paying your travel though.
I'll be working that day, and Christmas eve, and between Christmas and new year - as do millions of other people 🤷🏽‍♀️

Actually OP. This whole day potentially indirect sex discrimination because it’s been around on you at short notice and will impact disproportionately negatively on those with childcare responsibilities, who are disproportionately women

At such short notice, childcare is likely to be impossible to arrange and you have been told that not going may adversely affect your prospects.

I would be pointing out the above, but if you want less exposure just take the day as leave. It will be a complete nightmare being on the road for that length of time 2 days before Xmas. The management are idiots

I wouldn't be able to do that - I can't drive in the dark, as I literally can't see in the dark. It would have to be a train, and of course they need to pay expenses! I'd be having a few nice wines on the train home too!

Just because you do doesn’t mean everyone has to

OP would be 2 hours and 20 minutes late (at least!) given the event starts at 9am though.

Well lots of people have to work Christmas Day doesn’t mean we all should.
lots of people will spend Christmas Day alone, doesn’t mean we all should etc etc.

people should be able to express if things that are not fair/ not reasonable are happening to them

You don't have to go though. Theyre just saying that if you go to this party you will be paid as if you were at work, and if you dont. You can take the day off but you won't be paid?

I dont see the issue. Sounds pretty cushy to me to get paid for going to a xmas party and then you get all xmas off.

What if you don't drive ?

I assume those unable to drive for whatever reason will be expected to take the train or bus.

Good luck to the non-drivers who live far from Manchester considering the general unreliability of public transport, and how much worse and more crowded it gets on the 23rd.

My work head office is 2.5 hours away from me on the train and we do have some away days etc here and there, and I quite enjoy the occasional train trip down.

However thankfully they reimburse for travel (as any decent company should do) AND they’d never do this kind of thing so close to Christmas just out of consideration for the employees.

A couple of times when I’ve travelled to or from a head office meeting or event, my 2.5 hour journey has been closer to 5 hours because of excessive delays and cancellations so I typically don’t arrange meetings before 11am when going to head office. Just to give me some wiggle room. And that’s just been at a “normal” time of year so I couldn’t imagine how it’s going to be like on the 23rd.

They’ve been told not going will halt progression so it’s not just about getting paid. There is clearly an expectation they should be there (with significant travel time and expense being borne by the employee )

But that's the point: it's not unfair or unreasonable to work on what is a normal working day.

The unpaid travel is unreasonable, absolutely, as is not offering TOIL or similar for travel outside of working hours.

But working per se? It's not at all unreasonable to expect someone to work on one of their normal working day if they're not using annual leave.