Christmas meal dillemma

[Exile]

As somebody else has commented, the venue (or PROSPECTIVE venue at the point you raise it) would 100% throw you a freebie, if asked.

"Hi, I'm looking for a venue for 32 £20 meals"

"No problem sir"

"I'd like you to provide the organizer of the event a free meal, as part of the arrangement"

"Done"

No different to how, service stations feed coach drivers free of charge, to incentivize them to stop at their site, with their cargo of hungry pensioners.

 

[Insel affe]

No different to how, service stations feed coach drivers free of charge, to incentivize them to stop at their site, with their cargo of hungry pensioners.

Nooo.....

I've missed my calling in life....

well that's a waste of 47 years.....


how did I not know about this............

 

[happypig]

Bin it ? Petulant action.....
Drop the freebie ? Climbdown
Carry on as planned ? Old hag will cause problems, possibly winding others up as well

4th option, carry on organising it but don't bother going yourself

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

Can't help but feel it's a little bit cheeky to charge everyone else to pay for your meal, you (presumably) chose to arrange it.

In the same situation I think I'd question it as well...except I try to dodge all 'official' office functions as they cause grief somewhere down the line.

As to what you do now...the HR threat is laughable, you could explain to everyone else involved your thinking behind the 'admin fee' and off to reimburse it to anyone that wants it, making it voluntary. That handles her complaint and puts you back in the driving seat.

Then don't bother next year.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Whatever possessed you to try and sneak a free meal hidden as 'admin' ?

I've never ever known anyone organising a meal do this.

At the very least you should have told everyone "by the way you are all paying for me".

 

[highflyer]

Nooo.....

I've missed my calling in life....

well that's a waste of 47 years.....


how did I not know about this............

You should see what gets laid on for lorry drivers on cross channel ferries. Bloody amazing.

 

[highflyer]

Whatever possessed you to try and sneak a free meal hidden as 'admin' ?

I've never ever known anyone organising a meal do this.

At the very least you should have told everyone "by the way you are all paying for me".

Tend to agree. If I found out someone was doing this (especially if they haven't made it clear up front) I wouldn't complain or refuse, because frankly I wouldn't be arsed enough to make any fuss. But i would be quietly and mildly miffed. And for those who seemingly have nothing else in their life to worry about 'mildly miffed' can easily escalate into cackling outrage.

 

[s5.bha]

this 100%. What could possibly go wrong?

https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showthread.php?42216-an-emotional-apology-to-all

brilliant !!!

 

[AK74]

Wouldn't have tried to slip in a freebie for myself, think that's taking the piss............but now it's blown up you're going to look a bit of a tit whatever you do.

Bin it ? Petulant action.....
Drop the freebie ? Climbdown
Carry on as planned ? Old hag will cause problems, possibly winding others up as well

No idea why you've needed to go to the venue so many times

In your situation I'd drop the freebie (say it's all tip - your £40 is miserly anyway) and never organise another one. Don't say anything, just don't do it next time.

Whatever happens, if any of your attending workmates are on NSC, afraid to say there is a good chance you might end up on another thread [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

Every word of this.

 

[Bozza]

This is all very 'Mumsnet' isn't it? I like it though.

Hoping it really escalates today - can't remember the last time it really kicked off over something seemingly innocuous.

 

[AK74]

You should see what gets laid on for lorry drivers on cross channel ferries. Bloody amazing.

Free Yorkie with every crossing?

 

[blue'n'white]

For years and years I organised the office Christmas meal and it's a completely thankless task apart from the fact that I used to get to go where I wanted and didn't have to put up with the normal overpriced crud of a couple of slices of warmed over turkey swimming in gravy that gets served up at Christmas pub meals. I can see how the OP had to go back seven times as I had this one year where the venue wanted the deposit up front in cash and, when people decided, after weeks and weeks of mithering about that perhaps they would go after all, I had to take the deposit to the restaurant.
I do think it's a bit cheeky though to get others to pay for your meal without being upfront about it - if you'd have cheeked the restaurant for a freebie nobody would have been any the wiser.
Good luck with whatever happens - should be fun !

 

[Moshe Gariani]

This is all very 'Mumsnet' isn't it?

Well spotted. My first thought was about the seemingly ENDLESS problems that Mrs G. faces when "organising" anything with her workmates or a group of female friends. I honestly think Sir Edmund Hillary probably worried less about what could go wrong...

 

[Diego Napier]

Well spotted. My first thought was about the seemingly ENDLESS problems that Mrs G. faces when "organising" anything with her workmates or a group of female friends. I honestly think Sir Edmund Hillary probably worried less about what could go wrong...

Undoubtedly, scaling the highest mountain in the world is easy-peasy compared with dealing with people

 

[Smiley Miley]

Why on earth would you need to visit a venue for a works Christmas dinner seven times?

Christ I only visited the venue for my wedding reception once and that was for four times as many people!

Because, apart from the initial take up six further deposits paid in dribs and drabs had to be paid to the pub to secure places.

 

[Smiley Miley]

Agree with this. Fail to see why you need to visit unless you are trying out the food. Jesus, it's a works xmas do for just 32 people. You ring the venue, check availability, collect a deposit from staff. One visit to pay the deposit (probably could even do it online) then email through the food choices. Possibly one other visit to pay the balance. Mountain and molehill spring to mind.

if only it was that simple

 

[dazzer6666]

Well spotted. My first thought was about the seemingly ENDLESS problems that Mrs G. faces when "organising" anything with her workmates or a group of female friends. I honestly think Sir Edmund Hillary probably worried less about what could go wrong...

Well our office BC is currently sorting our Christmas drinks out (not even a meal so should be quite simple you'd think).

We've had the spreadsheet to count votes on venue choice.....we are now into and endless and excruciating cycle of emails about funding. The firm, quite simply, pays an amount towards it for each member of staff, but not any contractors of which we have several. I thought it was simple......contractors welcome to come but have to pay in whatever the firm pays for perm staff, chuck all the money into the pot and spend it on booze, with 'management' topping it up as is traditional.

Oh no. Can't keep it simple can we.

'I've got more contractors in my team' (so what?)

'I don't drink so it's not fair that my allowance goes into the pot'

'I can't make it so can I use my allowance on something else'

........etc

The BC, rather than, as we suggested, just telling everyone 'this is what we are doing', is 'asking for views' for every such question, making the email chains longer and longer.

FFS.

 

[Smiley Miley]

Why is everyone talking about HR!

I've worked in HR for 16 years, if someone complained that a member of their team has withdrawn as 'chief lunch organiser' they would be laughed at out the building.

HR refers to the said lady accusing me of work place bullying because I chose to exclude her for not coughing up the full amount

 

[LlcoolJ]

The company must be a bunch of tightwads, why aren't they paying for it?

Surely the one perk of having to work in an office is the yearly opportunity to get absolutely shitfaced at their expense and insult everyone you don't like?

As I work from home most of the time now I've managed to swerve ours this year anyway as I've got way better things to do. Plus the senior partner already knows from past festivities that I think he's a wanker so there's no need.

 

[maffew]

Get Digweeds Trousers to go talk to HR

Blast from the past!!! When was that post?