150 quid a head for a leaving do?

[Anycrispsleft]

We have a colleague from our team of about 10 who is leaving for another job. He's been there for years - I think it was his first job out of uni. Usually when someone leaves we have a collection in the whole department and people chip in about 5 or 10 euro and they get a present, and we go out for a meal with them and pay their meal but it's like maybe 30 quid a head.

Now I've just been invited to a group chat where two of my colleagues have come up with an idea for the leaving do to go to a local Michelin starred restaurant and have the tasting and wine tasting menu there for 150 euro a head. Our boss agreed, and then they shared the chat with the rest of us, including an apprentice, a placement student and one of our colleagues who's on a much lower pay grade and has got young kids.

There's no bloody way I'm forking out 150 quid for to sit and eat dinner with my colleagues - christ, for DH's 50th we didn't spend that much - but I'm wondering if I should try and word my reply in a sort of "have you really thought this through" sort of way in case some of our colleagues are going to feel pressured into saying yes?

If you have the relationship with your senior manager I'd be having a one to one word with them about how unaffordable this is, particularly for your junior colleagues. But then I'm an inveterate shop steward.

Are they mental?? 150 quid for someone who you'll never see again or ever really cared about?? Fuck that 😂

You could buy 150 baguettes for that!!

I would innocently have asked if the company was paying for it.

They should at least be paying for your Christmas do considering they get £100 per employee for that purpose.

I wonder if they’ve planned it to be so expensive on purpose, to make sure that most staff won’t attend to keep it small. Guilt free exclusion

I did wonder if this is the case when I read the op's post.

That is far too much. And one person saying so allows the more junior staff to say no too.

Yes!!!!!!

Be the one who paves the way for others to drop out £150 is a piss take to spend on 1 persons going away do

Was supporting you until you said this :
childless 20 something - went on a wellness break last spring because he was feeling burnt out 🙄
You know nothing about their lives so please do not judge for doing this of the fact they are childless

Just because you maybe be young or don't have children you don't experience burnt out

Just because they don't have kids doesn't mean they live a charmed life ffs. If it did then nobody would choose to have kids. Well done them for having a flipping wellbeing break. You could do that yourself but you'd rather scoff at people who do.

Yep. Nice and simple.

100% this I could afford it but I would not want too! I think this would be a good call as the placements students etc probably do not know how to get out of it.

I think it's discriminatory and they force people who can't afford to either say so, which some might find embarrassing, or to go into debt for it.

Yes I would clearly say regardless of how much I earned 'As £150 for a meal especially at Christmas will not be possible for many of our colleagues, that's a no thankyou from me. Enjoy the night!'

Fine to not go to a meal. That cost is mad but nothing wrong with people having the breaks they need. Having children is an entirely optional addition to your life

What's wrong with a wellness break, exactly?

Nothing at all, it sounded great!

Nothing wrong with it at all.

Being burnt out in your 20s when you have few/no other responsibilities does point towards a certain lack of resilience (no doubt I'll be flamed for that, you shouldn't judge blah blah blah).

I think what the PP is trying to ask is "what relevance is the comment, rolling eye emoji and following remark, if not a dig?"

A bit of a nasty comment?