Can my employer require attendance at an out of hours work event?

[Jewelanemone]

The company I work for holds an annual event and we've been told this year that attendance is compulsory. It's out of working hours and involves an amount of travel as it's for a number of teams based over a large area. It clashes with a pre-booked event for my particular team that we have arranged ourselves in our free time after work. This was booked in early April and the compulsory event date has only just been confirmed. Can we be 'made' to go to the bigger event? There is nothing in our contracts which states we have to attend out of hours social events.

Thank you.

Anything outside of your contracted working hours is not compulsory. My work was always trying to organise 'compulsory' engagement/training evenings. So many were cancelled cos so many people refused to attend. They have no claim on your time outside of work.

I would make an effort to attend. When you mention the company event has just been confirmed, did they make you aware the date was a possibility?

Most contracts have a clause about following "reasonable" management requests. Whether this is reasonable, depends on the nature of your role within the company. As well as other context such as have you been given fair notice.

Have they offered to pay travelling costs? How long are you expected to stay, ie do some have to stay overnight?

Personally I wouldn't go if I wasn't paid or compensated with time in lieu but I wouldn't be after a promotion with them either.

Try ACAS op.

Generally most companies do expect this periodically and staff go. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a situation where a whole team declines.

For goodness sake, you don’t need ACAS for this!!! What an overreaction. It needs a conversation with your manager. It also needs a conversation with the whole team who you have organised this separate event with because whilst it cannot be made compulsory to go to these events, they can be important for networking and being ‘seen’ so you may find some of your team members are ambitious and would rather go to that. If a company is generally good then I think if you can go then you should.

Just say you will go then don’t attend due to a stomach upset.

Read your contract and see what it says. Mine says that from time to time I may be expected to work out of normal working hours.

As other PP have pointed out it all depends upon what your career intentions are. If you are after preferment or promotion its probably in your interest to appear at some of these events.

I was in an academic department where we had evening events about every two months to host businesses. They were usually in a bar and involved presentations, business games etc. I went to several of them but negotiated a taxi home (no car and bad bus route) and always took part of the morning off afterwards. Some staff who did have transport never showed up and their absence was noted. When the opportunity for a years secondment to the USA came up one of them applied alongside me. She didn't even get an interview. I got the USA posting and found out there was a large social element to the job. I was even asked to be a motivational speaker at some glitzy charity events.

If the organisation is paying expenses it seems a reasonable request. I’d attend.

will you all lose money for the social thing you have already booked, if / when you cancel?

Do you want a job or a career?

I was thinking more about OP being out of pocket due to travel costs and/or deposits for her team event. I can't see her company paying for that, but acas might give her pointers.

Common sense at last.

Exactly this
I used to work for a private company who expected me to be at all sorts of evening events this was before I had kids and I did used to go but I did feel bad if I didn’t!!!!

I’ve got 3 kids now and I absolutely wouldn’t be doing this now - when I finish work my priority is my family.

They can’t force you to go, but it is often useful to. I’d expect them to pay for the travel though. I imagine even if you don’t personally want to go, at least some of your team will, so you’re going to have to rearrange your team event anyway. I’m assuming the company event is not next week, if it is you might have a case as expecting people to travel at that short notice isn’t reasonable in most jobs!

It all boils down to what is in your contract as to whether you have to go.

However, you should not be out of pocket as a result.

I’d need to be paid for expenses and also be paid overtime for attending or it would be a no.

I would go if you can, but if not just say you can't.

This.

I have to say, I don't know where everyone works where they can get away with being so difficult. Fine I guess if you just want a job but nobody with this sort of attitude towards a few hours outside of core working hours would progress in the companies I have worked in. It's hardly a gigantic ask.

I travel extensively for work (internationally) and it's never occurred to me to say no or ask for overtime. It's swings and roundabouts. When I am at home I get as much flexibility as I want and I earn a good wage. Couldn't get worked up about an occasional out of hours event.