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

maybe she will be able to attend next year.

also she was restrained if she didn't tell you to get to fuck.

I agree. If’s really crappy.

Well, that stinks.
There should have been a date to sign up by and then the wait list selected randomly.

I understand how your colleague feels. I wouldn't want to keep a day free on the off chance I'd find out the day before that I could go.

I think I would want reassurance that the event will be organised better in future ie to allow everyone to go who wants to.

If you’re not her manager and are getting criticism because you organised it you probably need to make it clear you had to do what was instructed and it wasn’t your decision. Did you send out the invites though? It would have been better to give a window for people to sign up in and then names out of a hat because your system discriminates against anyone on leave or part timers.

I would be feeding back to your manager that the system really hasn’t worked this year and you think staff who couldn’t attend should receive a voucher and next year should be done differently.

i think the comparison to a gift voucher upthread was key. The event was to thank ALL STAFF for the excellent quarterly results. They deliberately made it so not all staff could participate. Then they are giving nothing to people (person) who through no fault of their own could not attend.

Although there are obviously tax issues around gift vouchers, this could have been avoided by the company not being cheapskates. If i had worked hard to contribute to a company's success, was excluded from the reward for that then told "meh" i'd be looking for a new job. And not contributing overmuch to the success of the next quarter beyond my normal work.

Since OP has asked, maybe next time it could be done departmentally, so each department gets to have their own event?

Actually I don’t think it’s fair that your company gives out free lunches once a month and you always miss out because it’s not your working day. Can see why you wouldn’t want to make a fuss but how hard would it be for them to change the free lunch day once in a while so everyone gets a chance. I just think it’s really daft for an employer to do something nice to motivate its work force but then exclude some of them from it?. It’s also legally not that sensible to discriminate against part timers, a lot of who will have a protected characteristic.

That's terrible! For the sake of £50 or so, the employer makes her feel even worse. Way to go, bosses!

I'm going to be in the minority here but i have some sympathy for the company. Firms I've worked for have always spent an absolute fortune on Christmas and summer events for staff. These have to be booked months in advance. There's always a significant number of staff who decline, or don't answer by the deadline and a significant number who accept and then don't show, usually because they don't feel like it and it's "free" to them so it doesn't matter.

Management therefore have to plan a budget which anticipates close to a likely actual number from historic attendance. Making a booking which included 25% wasted costs each time would result in the board pulling the budget and no events ever, full stop and everyone misses out.

What happened in your case is that there were a higher number of acceptances than anticipated although as it was possible to accommodate everyone via waiting list the numbers did actually balance out. I agree with the poster who said if she wanted to come so badly she would have kept the date free while in the waiting list.

The one thing that's a bit off is that it sounds like the invitation and acceptance window was very short if she (and others) missed it on annual leave. If the company had left more time to plan for the higher than expected level of acceptances there may have been more opportunity to see if a different arrangement could be reached with the venue to allow extra number ie stand up buffet rather than sit down dinner etc.

How is being on annual leave a protected characteristic?!

This event shows really poor management from the company.
You need to hold an event that accommodates all employees. If there is an event that can only accommodate a smaller number then you need to have a fairer distribution of places - allow a reasonable time for everyone to request a place then do a random draw of names. First come first served is unfair for many reasons.
The fact that this event was to celebrate collective success, but excluded some, only makes it worse.
In this circumstance, I would pay her and the others who didn't get a place the amount spent per head on the event so she hasn't lost out.
Next year, organise it properly and professionally.

I can’t believe that you and the company cannot see it is completely unreasonable to have staff events where not everyone can attend because the company is too cheap.

Exactly. Isn’t it better to accommodate for ALL staff members and if people don’t come, then they don’t come. How can you hold an event as a ‘thank you’ to the staff but at the same time say, ‘sorry not you luv, join the waiting list because we’re at full capacity for the people we want to thank.’ It’s a bit ridiculous

low morale at work rarely improves. That’s why shit companies lose talented people.

imagine the Glassdoor reviews 😂

Maybe consider a more equitable bonus next time. Meal voucher for all, an extra days leave? m and S voucher?

Well firstly you handle it by apologising. She feels undervalued by the company because she is, if you/they can't understand why she is upset. She didn't have the same opportunity to sign up. She was on a waiting list for a month. She finally had her place confirmed at a day's notice. You're taking the attitude that she* *rejected the offer to attend because she hadn't kept her diary free for a month in the hope that she would get a space.

If the company won't offer any recompense at least learn lessons for next year. Pick a venue which can accommodate everybody and budget accordingly. If less want to come then spend the left over money on upgrading the menu or wine.

I was gobsmacked when I read that something organised to thank all staff wasn't organised to accommodate all staff...and especially the first come first served sign up...surely if the stupid attendance limit can't be changes, it ought to be a names in the hat draw for places? Thats just shitty.

This and if there was a "wait list" it needs to be all sorted in advance the day before is ridiculous and really unfair if people have any sort of caring responsibility

That seems reasonable. You've celebrated everyone apart from her. I have to stay behind with two others when everyone goes to the big christmas do for critical procedures and I am rewarded with a gift voucher.

And people on maternity leave

Then there is little you can do, surely? I'd probably say to her, 'That isn't going to happen. It's unfortunate that you were unable to attend because you thought it was too short notice - but you were aware of the date for a long time and could have kept it free if you'd been really keen to come. I recommend that you just let this go'.

I'd then refuse to get involved any more. It's not your problem if you can't approve free meal, etc. She needs to either get over it or complain higher up, but it sounds like it will gain her nothing. She's going to draw negative attention to herself if she keeps harping on about it by the sound of it.

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In your employer's place, I'd give your colleague a cheque for double whatever her place at the event would have cost. It would work out a lot cheaper than recruiting and training a replacement when your colleague decides she does not want to work for an organisation that thinks so little of her.

This. And sack whoever is in the role of People and Culture.

I don't think that the employee was put at a disadvantage because of a protected characteristic. She was on annual leave when the invitation was circulated to all staff. If she had been on maternity leave for example, so hadn't seen the invitation before places were filled, this would be discrimination on the grounds of a protected characteristic, i.e. maternity.

I still think she was treated very poorly and the company should uphold her complaint.

If this event is a meal and drinks as you have indicated, why on earth would you not book a restaurant/event space large enough to accommodate the whole company? It's frankly piss-poor planning on the part of the company to have people on a "waiting list" to receive something which everyone has been awarded.

Don't be ridiculous. If, as a result of her complaint, the company ensures that they book a venue big enough for everyone who is invited to attend, this is better for all the employees in the company.

Improvements in the treatment and conditions of workers/employees have normally happened due to one or more employees complaining/making a fuss/going on strike (e.g. weekends, paid holidays, maternity leave) and they now benefit all employees.