Aibu to think boss should pay if she wants me to go

[theredhen]

I work for a small employer, just three part time staff including me. The business is owned by my boss but its part of a franchise group.

Every year the franchise holds a conference. My boss always asks myself and my colleagues to come to the conference.

It's at the weekend (we all work weekdays only, so it would be in our time with no time off in lieu or pay). It's about 240 Miles away and would therefore involve an overnight stay. There is also a black tie dinner which would involve buying a new outfit.

The boss "kindly" offers to pay conference fee and cost of dinner. Travel, hotel (5 star where the conference is held), clothing, childcare is expected to be paid for ourselves. She also says it would be nice for my oh to come along but not sure if she would pay for anything for him.

Every year she asks and every year we all make our excuses.

The work I do is more of a "job" than a career so it's not as though I'm hampering my career prospects by not going.

Aibu to think she should offer to pay the travel and a accommodation at least?

I'd say bog off, it will be in the £100's, what about breakfast and lunch etc, you'd pay that too. In a ideal world it would be lovely, but in the real world far too much.

I can't believe she keeps asking, surely she must realise that we'd all rather spend our money on things we want to do rather than what she wants us to do!

It's your prerogative not to go but it sounds like a bit if a jolly and that your boss is trying to be nice offering to pay for you to go

Boss should pay travel and hotel. Clothes and childcare are at your own expense. Or don't go

As long as she is only "asking" then I think it's fine, and you just have to keep saying "No thanks, that doesn't work for me". If she then pushes, you politely explain that you can't afford x amount for travel and hotel accommodation for an overnight trip, that even though it's kind of her to offer to pay for the conference and dinner it still leaves a lot of other expenses which just aren't practical.

It sounds like she hasn't really thought about the practicalities and thinks its a chance of something "fun" which you would like to do even though it costs money. Business owners often have a different view of money from employees!