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?

You'd think, wouldn't you?

Utterly ridiculous unless the company wants to foot the bill it won't stop at 150 there will be drinks, tips etc it could be the monthly student food bill.

Don’t sugar coat it. Say on the group ‘no that’s ludicrous (I don’t like any of you enough to spend that much on being in your company) i shan’t be joining you. Have a glorious time’

Quoting this message from Tuesday morning for those who haven’t read all the OP’s posts & don’t realise she’s already refused.

Yes this is good

You might be among the higher earners, but do you think you earn as much as the lower paid people's parents and spouses? A young person's parents might pay for this, if the young person really wants to go.

If something isn't affordable for someone, they can speak for themselves, surely.

Definitely say no in the group chat and make it clear it's because they've chosen a place at a ridiculous price point.

That’s outrageous. I wouldn’t even be willing to pay a third of that.

I would be fuming 😤 tell the bloody group chat there is no way your doing that it's selfish they sound like there up there own Arse don't even tell them you can't afford it or make excuses plus the fact you only get tiny portions and will have to call for a pizza on the way home lol

The OP told the group chat that she wasn’t going because it was too expensive TWO DAYS AGO.

Many years ago I worked unpaid for a legal firm (building my CV) and every Christmas I had to make my excuses regarding the Christmas lunch as I literally could not afford it. The meals were always in fancy hotels or restaurants and 95% of the other staff were comfortably situated. I would have been very glad of someone saying that it was too much

Ignoring the financial cost, a tasting menu is obviously going to be for people to focus on and enjoy the food, this isn't the sort of event to celebrate the career, so far, of a colleague.
The person leaving should be the focus.

I see you have responded to the whatsapp, OP, and I couldn't have put it better myself. I have never heard of work meals out costing more than say £50 per head - don't know what the manager was thinking by agreeing to that, as I expect you have made it more socially possible for some less assertive colleagues to also state it's too expensive and pull out - if they don't have enough people going they will have to re-consider and go somewhere more conservative. If the manager was thinking of coughing up most of the bill they should have said so upfront, so I assume they weren't.

Let us all know the outcome - I'm guessing you all end up at Nando's 😀

I live in Ireland and I always say 'quid'.

Op, I think that reply is perfect. You are a good person.

Yeah but we'd like to know what else happened since

Fucking hell! There’s no way… our privately educated boss once decided that our Xmas office do - in the office- should be black tie!
Alright for him as he owned several tuxes… not so great for us jr staff in £25k who has to rent clothes for the evening…

I live in Spain and we still say quid when talking about money. We know it's wrong but me and my husband know what we mean.

Ah man, That's mad money.

I do a lot of collections at work and always make a point of saying donate what you can afford. As others have said I would publicly on the group say it's out of your budget so you will be unable to make it. Then suggest you happy to contribute to a gift and say maybe you could do a collection for others who would also be unable to afford it.

Even if you can afford to go, I'd be annoyed that someone else us is expecting people to fork out that sum of money in December. It's a bit cheeky. When you think you could do a fab day out with your kids for that money. All our leaving drinks are usually a couple of cheeky beers at the local pub. People can order food if they want and drink as much or as little as they like. There should at least be a choice.

Sorry, I won't be there, but I'll happily chip in for his gift.
If anyone queries it, tell them it's too expensive for a leaving meal. The next one could cost more.
I left a job of 45 years and asked my colleagues to donate the collection to Sit Ambulance,

and we had a lovely buffet in work.
£150 - absolute nonsense.

I'm in the North if England we still say quid before then it would have been bob 😂

Just say you can't make it, or if you want to highlight the high cost, say sorry that's out of my price range I'll have to pass, it will then make those others who would like to say this but worried about saying it feels better about also not going

The OP has already replied upthread.

Company I work for has given £150 towards Christmas there 18 employees who can not all have time off together,