To not go to work Christmas team day on day off?

[Slipperati]

I know this should be under “work” but I want some more views.

Work Christmas “team day” falls on my day off, just as summer team day did, and both do every year. They’re casual activity, 15 ish people, all v nice but not super exciting.

AIBU not to go in for it? I can’t be bothered, I’ve worked my socks off the past few weeks and I’m tired and I don’t want to give up my day off this close to Christmas.

what do you do if you’re part time and your socials always fall on your day off? Also I’m not local… it’s 90 mins commute.

Yours, Grinch

Sorry I've got stuff to do that day as it's my day off.
Job done.

These kind of events and parties need to be in work time. So in your case, move your day off.

What does the “team day” involve?

I get why you’re annoyed @Slipperatibut if you don’t want to go anyway, this is not a battle to fight. Save it for something that matters. I didn’t go to our Christmas do for years because it always coincided either with an INSET Day, and/or the do of one of DH’s major clients (he’s a massive introvert, hates corporate networking but had a a very senior role with a consultancy who worked with some household names and was expected to go).

Of course not! My office works 365 days a year so some people always get left out. We advise the date well in advance so people can request to work that day if they want to join in but there’s not endless flexibility.
Wouldn’t occur to us to expect someone to come in on their day off although a couple usually do.
Agree that it might be nicer to have the following Monday off in lieu though if you can swap a work day for one eating mince pies and chatting.

If it’s been on the cards for months and everyone is expected just change your day off, if they won’t allow you a different day off don’t go

If you don't want to go then don't go, that's fine.

If you wanted to go it would be discriminatory for them to schedule it on your day off and not allow you to have the same benefit as full time staff. But that's not what's happening.

Almost everyone in my team works part time or across two teams meaning there’s not a single day when all staff are working. For team days staff can swap their working day to attend, subject to business continuity. There hasn’t been a Christmas party for years though, not sure why.

If we are doing any kind of team meeting or meal our boss always lets the ones not working that day swap. It’s not mandatory to attend.

I wouldn’t give it a second thought, if they say anything say you have a prior arrangement as it’s your day off. My non working day is a Friday and I’ve never once changed it or been asked to to accommodate work. Same as work things in the evening, I like my job and colleagues but they know I never attend a work get together and no one has an issue with it.

Socials are often on my non working day as it’s a Friday.

Things like Christmas and end of financial year celebrations I always go to. For others, it depends on if it’s something I want to do or not.

I always switch my days. My Xmas work thing is on a Friday this year which is my day off so I’m taking Thursday off instead.

Yeah, fuck that.

My old director told me it was mandatory for me to come to the team volunteer day that was on a Friday. I don’t work Fridays. I didn’t go.

You don’t want to go so don’t start saying it is inconsiderate to always plan it on your day off or they might choose a different day next year!

Same. I swapped my day off though. However if I'd had plans I wouldn't .
Or if I couldn't be arsed I wouldn't (and TBF if I'd decided now I probably wouldnt have)

Presumably these team days are to show how valued the team is so they should be falling over themselves for you to attend and keep your day off. (But at the same time if you have something you do on your day off then oh no, you want be able to attend. I'm sure you'll miss out on loads of fun 🙄)

The point is I have too much work to do to swap a day. I’m going on leave on Friday and I have work that has to be done to be handed over… non negotiable.

The problem with being part time is that sometimes it’s just not as simple as swap your day off. One day out on this is a third of my time taken compared to a fifth for someone who is full time.

Is it possible to say you're going and then just flake out on it on the day? (Oh dear poorly child, car breakdown etc?) Trickier if you've had to pre order food or split the cost of something though.

But 'a days work' should be the same amount whether you work FT or PT. If not you have bigger problems than whether or not you attend the team day.

If you don't want to go, you have a reason not to. If you do, you swap a day and join in the festivities. But a lot of you must have awful workplaces and colleagues that so many of you don't want to have a day at work where you're not expected to work but will be able to socialise with food and drink instead.

It's your day off. Nuff said.