How to deal with a colleague's low morale due to not being involved in a company event

[HannahP2024]

What would be a fair resolution here so everyone is happy?

Our company holds celebrations in October (last Friday, 18th), as profits exceed the target for the year by Quarter 3, and so a celebration is held, to thank the staff for their hard work, and an event everyone looks forward to.

I, and another colleague are in charge of organizing this event. Year on year there is a pretty consistent attendance of 75%, as not everyone is interested, so a suitable venue is chosen for this number. This year it was oversubscribed and so a handful of people were on a wait-list for a month. The day before the party everyone was eventually given a space. Unfortunately someone missed out saying it was too little notice, and was upset about being made to wait a month on a wait list and then missing out, especially when all other colleagues are talking about what a great event it was.

Is she justified in making a complaint? I have told her that she was eventually given a space, which she rejected, and no company policies were broken in the way it was organised, and that she should accept that, and maybe she will be able to attend next year. I would like advice on how one should resolve this issue, or leave it as it is, as this is not the company's fault she couldn't attend last minute. Thanks

I would be pissed off if my employer held a celebration to thank staff, but didn't accommodate all the staff who wanted to attend.

A last minute 'wait list' space wouldn't give me the impression my contribution was valued.
If you are going to do it, make space for everyone

I agree with this.
This would never happen with our current manager. Everyone is made to feel included and contributes to the team and gets rewarded. None of this waiting until the day before to see if they can fit you in! Waiting lists to see if you can enjoy a reward, my arse!!!

To answer your question - yes, she is justified in making a complaint. She was excluded from a social event that her colleagues were able to attend, so she was treated differently.
this is not the company's fault she couldn't attend last minute
Well that's a bit of a technicality.
Instead of thinking of it as her fault that she wasn't available last minute, you should take responsibility and in future make sure everyone is invited by a particular deadline, and then make the booking when you know what the numbers are. Announce it ahead of time enough and leave enough flexibility so people on annual leave can still book/attend. Basically, you need to run it better.

When I saw the title, my first thought was that I work with someone with low morale and it’s draining and stresses me out!
However, I am appalled. The company holds an event to thank staff, but not everyone is allowed to attend. Wow! What a shit company!
Of course if you’ve spent a month thinking that you are not worthy enough to attend and then at the last minute told that you are, people cannot just arrange childcare with no warning and also, if you’ve had the whole month being upset/ angry that you’re not allowed to go, I would then think well how gracious, they are now allowing me to attend and probably be thinking that this company can f* right off and I would be looking for another job!

This is a tricky one because the company acted incorrectly in hiring a venue it knew wasn't big enough and so risked excluding some people. Putting people on a waiting list for a month is awful practise OP. Either everyone deserves rewarding at the event or they don't. If costs are so tight you need to be concerned about wasting square footage and so hire a smaller venue, then the event may be too much of a stretch in the first place. While I think this individual is complaining about the wrong thing, in the end she self excluded, I do think the situation has highlighted the potential pitfalls in the way this is organised and I'd have a rethink for next year.

In an ideal world company parties would have room for everyone. However, companies very rarely book space for everyone when attendance has only being 75% in previous years. It’s a lot of wasted money.

I worked it out for my company and if 75% turned up, it would be a minimum of 40k wasted.

and if there was room for everyone attendance at this event was about 75%. The company allowed op to book for 75% and everyone got a place. Not in an ideal situation about when they got their place. But everyone got a place. So attendance, in line with other years would have been 75%. If everyone wanted to go, then people would ah e been left on the waiting list.

The company or you if you decide the venue are at fault. Why hold an event to thank staff in a venue that doesn’t fit them all. It’s very unfair to keep people waiting until the day before letting them know if they can attend. They are right it’s short notice, how are people meant to sort transport, childcare, outfits?

What would be a fair resolution here so everyone is happy?

Well there isn’t a fair resolution that will make her happy is there, the party was last week and she missed out.
I think it’s a terrible system for organising a company party, I have never heard of this before. It’s meant to be a party to thank everyone for their hard work, but not everyone is allowed to go? The company just needs to book a place for all staff. A wait list to go to my own companies party sounds…shit. And wouldn’t make me feel appreciated or valued at all.
I think telling her there was a space for her the day before is absolutely no good. By this point she will have made other weekend plans/maybe can’t sort childcare last minute etc.
You don’t sound like you’ve been particularly kind to her when discussing this either. Telling her that no company policies were broken and she needs to accept that. And also telling her maybe she can go next year? Like what the actual hell? How is that supposed to make her feel any better about the situation.

I hope you learn from this and organise the party a little better next year.

I agree.
Whoever deemed a venue that could only take 75% of the staff to celebrate is totally in the wrong.

Did you challenge it? If not why not?

If spaces ran out on the day of announcement then it suggests that capacity is undersized. Its really stupid to make a big thing of "thanking" the staff but then sizing and operating the event in a way which excludes people who wish to attend. At least have something in place (maybe a small hamper) for those who don't want to attend a large drinking event or who are otherwise excluded.

Its just poor event management.

What changed the day before the party so that people who had been waiting for a month suddenly got a place?

Why doesn't your company book a venue that would accommodate all their employees? If the venue holds 150 and then only 100 staff opt to attend, it shouldn't really negatively impact the celebration event.

As the colleague was on annual leave when the invitations were circulated and the event was full by the time she returned, I think she has a genuine grievance.

This. 100% hits the nail on the head. If an employer values all employees, they show it. A day before is poor behaviour and poor attitude from the employer.

(Edit: I tried to quote @Baital and their first comment)

If 75% of the company came last year you needed a venue with capacity for at least 80% or if this was deemed too expensive then the company should give a voucher for a meal to any employee they could not accommodate.
The last minute waiting list was not good enough.
She should get an apology and voucher.

The solution would be: book an venue that acommodates 100% but has flexibility. Give the date out well in advance and open confirmations for 2-3 weeks, making it clear that after that date, anyone who hasn't confirmed will go on a wait list with random allocation only if a place becomes available/someone drops out. Not really hard is it?

Quite simply this was not a company event.

it might be advertised as such but to only guarantee 75% of staff is very poor.
they certainly do not value all of their employees.

years ago I worked in an office with a bitchy manager, when Christmas do came around she invited a few select employees to go.
when this was found out, the company made the manager pay for the herself and her invitees by herself.
managers actions made it not a company event.

same situation.

It's the company's fault for being a cheapskate about the venue size. Even in the stingiest and cost-conscious companies I've never seen one do this. It was inevitable they would estimate the numbers wrong at some point.

The employees who were left out may have grounds for complaint, given the law is pretty clear on employees having to be treated equally when it comes to perks, and they're theoretically offering one to employees knowing full well they couldn't actually deliver on that to a full quarter of them. Plus I bet the party allowance (per employee amount) for a regular yearly "party" is being drawn for 100% of staff, not 75%.

I think the company organised this event poorly, OP. (I assume you followed the Company's instructions in terms of venue size.) I can understand wanting to save money by not hiring a larger venue if only 75% of staff generally attend, but they really shouldn't have made an assumption. If they genuinely wanted to thank all staff, they should have hired a venue and catered for all staff. It doesn't scream of value and thanks to be put on a wait list and then told the day before that you can come. Also, when you knew it was oversubsribed, you should have changed venue (albeit you may have taken a hit on the deposit - lesson learned for next time in terms of booking a suitable space). Whilst I think all this woman has done by complaining is put her neck on the chopping block next time there's a "restructure", she's asking for an apology and a meal. Since the company should have paid for her place at the event anyway, this really isn't a big ask and it shows shortsightedness and possibly spite to not admit their mistake. Have they at least considered apologising, admitting they got it wrong and said they will make sure next year's venue is suitable?

Yes she is justified. It’s not a company celebration event if quarter of the company can’t go.

You should have apologised straight off the bat.

Refer upwards to make a complaint, if you can’t do Anything else. And next year change the process.

Hand this over to HR.

Under the Equality Act 2010, indirect discrimination is when a company policy puts someone at a disadvantage because of a protected characteristic.

This person has been put at a disadvantage because of their personal circumstances and you need to determine whether this was a breach of employment law.

They can demonstrate that they have suffered a detriment. They have not had access to the same benefits that other staff have had, and they feel excluded. Both will fall under your company's Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination Policy.

Remember, the outcome is not about the intent of your actions but the impact of them.

Either everyone is included or don't do it

Hardly motivational or a proper thank-you, is it?

Book the larger place and suck up empty spaces

Well, the employee will leave and the company will therefore end up paying more to recruit than the compensation they asked for. Serves the company right.

What's staff turnover like?

I'd hate to work for a company like that.

If they want to say a Thank You, far cheaper and easier and inclusive is a store voucher for everyone

Can I ask OP why you are handling this complaint and in what capacity, are you her line manager or HR? If not then you need to pass this on to HR now, as this matter looks to be beyond your expertise (not a criticism - just that there are potentially serious implications of this as some posters have pointed out, so it needs expert handling).

This may need to be addressed as a formal grievance according to your company's grievance procedure, or otherwise following ACAS guidelines.

I agree with the majority of posters btw. An event that is meant to demonstrate goodwill and generosity to staff has been mismanaged and instead made the company look shoddy and penny pinching, entirely predictably. An event to celebrate your staff needs to be planned & budgeted for to accommodate all staff. Can't afford that? Then find a cheaper option that can accommodate everyone.

To stop this from happening again, you need to book a venue that can stretch to all the people in future. As you've found out, making assumptions that a certain number of people will drop out can backfire.

I can completely understand why this lady is pissed off. Part of her bonus has be denied to her. Your company is paying part of her bonus as a meal and drinks and she's been denied it because she was exercising her legal right to take her legal entitlement to annual leave the day beforehand.

Imagine that this bonus isn't a meal, but is cash handed out at a meeting. Imagine telling people that the first 75% of people to reply to the meeting invitation will get a space and the other 25% will go on a waitlist and will lose out on their cash bonus unless someone drops out. Is it now clear as day how wrongly this entire affair has been handled?

To have a first come first serve set up for an all company event is awful. That penalises people on holiday, those that work part time and even anyone who happened to be away from their emails when the notification came out

They need to hire a space that accommodates all or if they insist on having a smaller venue send out a registration link with a closing date on it which is at least one week away and then randomly pick from those that registered

I see that they are doing a nice thing but what a way to decrease morale when the intention was to do the opposite