Can my employer force me to attend the Christmas party? – asked an Internet user on social networks. – For some it is a fantastic opportunity to meet and unite in a team, for others it is a real nightmare and just the thought of such an event makes them sick – said Monika Smulevich, an expert on labor rights in an interview with tvn24. .pl commercial editorial.
A question about a company meeting on Christmas Eve appeared on the profile of one of the social network groups. In the post, the netizen asked if his employer could force him to attend such an event.
“I have been working for an indefinite period of time at UOP (employment contract – ed.) for 4 years. Every year during the so-called Christmas holiday, employees must bring pre-determined foods, organize the entire assembly. , tables, dishes (which should pre-washed) prepare, including standing in front of the stove, reheating cabbage, frying dumplings, preparing fish, herring, salads, setting the tables and preparing everything. after the whole party,” she wrote.
Should I attend the company's Christmas party? FB
As a netizen explained, “all the work falls on the shoulders of production workers (especially women).”
“The president and the board get ready, and after the meeting they go to their place, and we blue-collar workers (women) have to clean everything. We get PLN 500 in an envelope, but honestly, we're fed up with it. We feel like this Christmas party we feel like farmers, not like employees.” . So can I opt out of something like this? Of course, I refuse the envelope because I think it's taking advantage of me. and the rest of the physical workers,” he wrote.
“False, hypocritical and completely unnecessary”
Monika Smulevich, labor law expert and HR president at Szpilki, commented on the company's Christmas Eve issues.
As he admitted in an interview with the tvn24.pl business editorial team, celebrating Christmas Eve is becoming more and more popular among colleagues, contractors and clients. – For some it is a fantastic opportunity to meet and integrate into a team, for others it is a real nightmare and just the thought of such a meeting makes them sick, – he said.
– Research shows that more than half of the respondents hate this type of meeting. He considers them false, hypocritical and completely unnecessary. And statistically, most sexual misconduct occurs during Christmas Eve gatherings, Monika Smulevich added.
Going to a company Christmas party. “Let's not force it”
We ask a labor law expert whether an employer can force an employee to come to the company's Christmas party. – No, the employer cannot force someone to go out together or prepare food – answered Monika Smulevich.
He added that perhaps one should calm down at this time and focus on the spiritual sphere. – On the other hand, not everyone is religious and wants to celebrate together. I also believe that the waffle element should be removed in business relations, he said.
– Expressing a desire and sharing waffles with people who, to put it mildly, we don't interact with every day, is very uncomfortable, – he emphasized.
The expert also noted that a company Christmas party can be an opportunity to unite the team and get to know colleagues in an environment slightly different from the company corridors. – Nevertheless, such meetings should not be turned into an unpleasant obligation. The right to decide on active participation in such a meeting should be left to the employees, Monika Smulevich noted.
Also read: Extra day off from work. “We need to change the law so we don't create a myth”
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