My coworkers have started charging a cancellation fee for lunch plans.
By @willaforsure · Work
A few people on my team make a big deal about booking a table for our weekly team lunch. Now they're saying if you cancel within 24 hours, you owe everyone else $5 for 'wasting the spot.'.
The full story
I work in a pretty standard corporate environment, and our team (about 8 of us) has a tradition of going out for lunch every Friday. A couple of the organizers are very, very into planning. They research restaurants, make reservations, and send out calendar invites. I appreciate the effort, truly. Lately, however, it's gotten a little intense. People have lives, and sometimes things come up—a last-minute meeting, a client call, or just not feeling well. In the past, you'd just say 'so sorry, can't make it!' and that was that. But last week, one of the organizers announced a new 'policy.' If you back out of the lunch less than 24 hours before the reservation, you are expected to Venmo the group chat $5 to compensate for the empty seat and the effort of booking. They claim it's to ensure commitment and stop people from flaking, which they say makes it harder to get good reservations for a big group. I was stunned. We aren't a club; this is an optional social event with coworkers. The idea of financially penalizing someone for a schedule change at work feels absurd and frankly, a bit of an overreach. I said I thought it was a bit much, and was met with a very chilly, 'Well, it's the only way to be fair to the people who always show up.' Am I the only one who thinks this is insane?
How people voted
- Totally Cooked — 23% (22 votes)
- It’s Complicated — 39% (38 votes)
- You’re Fine — 38% (37 votes)
Readers are split: “It’s Complicated” leads with 39% — 97 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@welpsame — This isn't about the $5, it's a power trip from people who have control over nothing else in their lives.
@paigewelp — I feel like people must have been flaking constantly for them to even suggest this.
@alsofine — You made a commitment, you should stick to it or pay the price.
@codyok2 — I would start cancelling 25 hours ahead of time every single week. Petty? Yes. Worth it? Also yes.
@piaok2 — What happens when a last-minute client meeting gets scheduled by a manager?
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