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

Does this mean the event has been oversubscribed before and people who wanted to attend were excluded in previous years? I originally read your OP as you being caught out by the number wanting to come but maybe you have just been lucky not to have received complaints before. You wouldn't need "first come first served" if there was enough space (just a cut off date for responding) and I bet there are certain people who will always get a place.

This is very shoddy project management/event planning. Whoever booked the venue should be ashamed of themselves!!

By 'marking someone's cards', you really mean allowing the company to discriminate against/bully/exclude/sack someone who has challenged an unfair policy. This isn't legal.

1000% agree with this. Thank the 'awkward and difficult' employees of the past for the rights you enjoy as an employee in the present day.

Organising events such as this is a thankless task so I do feel for the OP to some extent.

But there is a “computer says no” tone to her posts that I wonder if that is what is coming across in real life to the employee and that’s contributing to their response

The Company may always have organised this event this way

But they are wrong and discriminatory

Quite shockingly so

You're organising this, and to be honest it sounds like you enjoy it. Why one earth would you say she might be able to come next time?

Why aren't the people who missed out guaranteed a space?

What a shitty company to work for.

Not sure how many people try and organise company events but it is a thankless task and you can't just find venues for x people easily to change things if numbers are high.

And people dropping out on the day/day before is just annoying .

Unless your role is "event planning" then it's usually sone hapless person who gets lumbered this task and then gets all the moans. About food usually!

The Xmas party is a reward but no company will ever offer people who don't attend the cash equivalent-as far too many people would just opt for that. Covid year was a blessing for avoiding Xmas party moans.

I don't think the company should cater for 100 if they only usually get 75...... BUT: if you've got a wait list the day after you ask people then you either need to come up with a Plan B or management give up their spaces and they're the ones on the wait list.

I think it's been badly handled. Giving the employee the cost of the event though is tricky else you'd then have to do the same for the other people who didn't attend.

If the company is going to hold this event then it should do so in a professional manner or not at all.

I think a venue should have been established that can host the required number of potential attendees. Waiting lists aren’t a satisfactory way of organising this type of event especially with so little notice of then being within the numbers.

I don’t think she can then ask for the same deal separately, but this situation shouldn’t happen

Yes. It sounds pretty shit.

Cheaper than being taken to a tribunal for active discrimination in the workplace.

Bullying according to ACAS, and a day's notice if she has children when she was put on a waiting list because she was on Annual Leave (also discrimination) would be even more discrimination.

She worked towards the exceeded targets as well. They're being absolute idiots.

Your company is actively discriminating against part time employees with this policy.

You might think it's absurd but legally this practice treats part time workers less favourably than full time workers. If you work somewhere where most of your part time workers are women, it could even be argued it's indirect sex discrimination too. Much like OPs situation if the employee who missed this event at short notice has children requiring childcare would be.

Complaining about either of these and having your cards marked ... wonderful opportunity for workplace bullying legal claim.

@HannahP2024 Unless you actually work for HR the decent thing to do would be direct the employee to ACAS. She has a legitimate claim against the company.

If you do work for HR, you shouldn't.

This wasn’t a Christmas party though, it was an event management wanted to lay on to celebrate a good quarters financial figures . but it appears that some people who have worked hard towards achieving those figures are less equal and valued than other employees who also worked towards achieving the figures but accidentally took a days leave on the wrong day. If I was one of the disadvantaged that would leave a sour taste, especially if management were unable to recognise my achievements and hard work by ( for example) agreeing to offer a one off voucher for a meal/ a pair of theatre tickets/ a case of wine/ a spa day or some other reward.

Agreed. 'We have always done it this way' is no defence at all for continuing a discriminatory practice. Believe it or not, other companies manage to plan & organise such events all the time whilst avoiding discrimination and complaints like this.

I do feel for the OP though, as it sounds as though she has also been dumped on by her Company and left both to organise this event and to respond to complaints about it on her own as best she can. It is not easy at the best of times to deal with complaints about an event that you yourself have worked very hard to organise; and here the complainant really does have a case which the employer is refusing to accept, and is leaving it to the OP to communicate it.

Someone else (senior management and HR) who is better placed to deal with this should be stepping in now. It sounds as though the OP is not very senior by the way she refers to her hands being tied and that 'the Company' won't agree to providing reimbursement to the complainant even as a one off goodwill gesture.

All in all, it sounds like a very poor, backward company to work for.

Exactly this.

We rotate the days for both comms events and "free lunch" type events to ensure that part timers can participate in most events. There is no earthly reason to do otherwise. We also vary the types of events so that they don't default to evening drinking sessions.

Ensuring fair access to company benefits/events is simply good practice and ensures all staff know they are valued.

As PP say, if the company really can't afford to thank all the staff then some sort of ballot for places would be a fairer way to do it. Better still - give all the staff a hamper or voucher or similar if its specifically to thank for good company performance.

I agree. This happened to me once. A work social event was oversubscribed and I was offered a very last minute place when someone dropped out, but by then I'd arranged something else.
As in this case no company policies had been broken, but it makes you feel like a B list guest.
It's not the same as waiting lists for things like limited number training courses, which are fine. If it's a treat, something done to thank staff, nobody should be left out or bumped onto a wait list.
Last minute offers are also unfair on people with children or other care responsibilities, who are more likely to miss out.

But you could book a venue that accommodates 100% then order catering for the 75% or so that accept the invite. It's that simple.

Yes if that was allowed.

But generally a room for say 1000 capacity generally also has a minimum spend based on say 1000 covers. You can't usually book the big room then only cater for half.

If she was on leave during, say, the school holidays because of problems getting childcare, she could make a case for indirect discrimination on the basis of sex because, let's be honest here, if one of a couple is going to burn leave caring for kids, it's the woman.

If my "cards are marked" because I demand the same benefits and remuneration as my colleagues, then the employer is victimising me and will hear from my trade union.

That you are happy to bend over and say "thank you sir" whilst being shafted out of benefits is a "you" problem. I suggest that you join a union and develop a spine. If they can screw you out of pay and benefits and get away with it, they'll try to screw you on health and safety as well.

I am always astonished at how many working people promote this race-to-the-bottom mentality by basically bragging about the shit treatment they receive and shaming others who stand up for themselves.

Legally does this qualify as a benefit? Is it part of any terms or conditions or contractual? (I assume no one signs a contract which says they will get a £150 pp. party each quartet if the company does well)

Or is it a perk such as a Xmas party. Is there much caselaw about discrimination around Xmas party attendance or organising it so that not everyone can attend? That happens a lot but I can't find many cases based on that type of thing.

I don’t have a trade union because I’m a lawyer and I don’t need a £50 voucher to make up for missing a party either…

If your time is worth so little that you’d involve a trade union over £50 then I really feel for you.