Revenue staff get paid to eat Xmas dinner!

Madam_X

goodie2shoes wrote: »

i've been saying for quite some time that we live in a banana republic, but this sort of thing belongs to Mugabe's Zimbabwe.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/revenue-staff-get-paid-to-eat-christmas-lunch-3282204.html

No it isn't. Your title is like a piss-take of a typically hysterical and misleading headline in The Sun too.
The Spindependent pushes a blatant anti public sector/semi state agenda (but it has no issue with grotesque commercial greed) to the point of publishing laughable non stories like this. I worked in the public sector and no Christmas drinks/meals were paid for by the organisation, whereas in private sector roles I had they were/are.

kylith

It's almost certainly cheaper for them to pay the staff for the afternoon, but let the staff pay for the party, than it would be for Revenue to put on a christmas party.

Odysseus

I say fair play to them, anyone like to join me for a Twink:pac:

I can't get over those having a go at this, sad, sad people.

dvpower

goodie2shoes wrote: »

i've been saying for quite some time that we live in a banana republic, but this sort of thing belongs to Mugabe's Zimbabwe.

Turns out your not far off the mark:

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) held its annual Charity Ball on Friday 2nd November 2012 at the Rainbow Towers Hotel, under the theme, “ZIMRA: Transforming Lives”. The ZIMRA Charity Ball was introduced in 2004 to raise funds for the less privileged. Proceeds from the event will be channelled to charities selected from ZIMRA’s four regions which cover the whole of Zimbabwe

goodie2shoes

kylith wrote: »

It's almost certainly cheaper for them to pay the staff for the afternoon, but let the staff pay for the party, than it would be for Revenue to put on a christmas party.

is n't Xmas party expenditure deductible?
what a joke of an outfit!

nhojegan

goodie2shoes wrote: »

is n't Xmas party expenditure deductible?
what a joke of an outfit!

Did you even read the article??

goodie2shoes

team building exercise?
what a farce!

Fr_Dougal

nhojegan wrote: »

Did you even read the article??

He's right. Because the Xmas party/dinner is happening during working hours it will be paid for. All they have to do is hand in their receipts.

Nice way to milk the system.

dvpower

iregk wrote: »

What's the problem here?

There is no problem here - this is a normal practice, even in Mugabe's Zimbabwe.

Fair play to the Revenue for treating their staff to a bite to eat and a few pints.


Edit: Revenue aren't even paying for this. They're just letting staff take it on company time. This is a complete non story.

SeaFields

Hold the phone....a non story in the indo? I'm flabbergasted

goodie2shoes

and who pays for this bunch while they eat Xmas dinner?

yep u guessed it!
the taxpayer.
as usual.

ScumLord

I don't know, I'd be a bit annoyed with this. Indigenous Irish companies can't afford anything like this, Christmas parties are basically just everyone meeting in the pub as companies don't have the money to be putting on parties and paying the staff to attend. The Irish government and local authorities are in the same boat but don't seem to realise it. We have to carefully monitor every cent spent and do everything we can to keep the show on the road but the Irish government just don't have that mentality they seem so blahzay about the position they're in. One minute they're telling us they're going to turn off lights because they don't have the money the next they're spending money on unessentials and parties for themselves.

There's no solidarity between public and private sectors, their comfort levels while everyone else is suffering during our economic depression is infuriating and their performance and efficiency is nowhere near as good as the private sector.

nhojegan

ScumLord wrote: »

I don't know, I'd be a bit annoyed with this. Indigenous Irish companies can't afford anything like this, Christmas parties are basically just everyone meeting in the pub as companies don't have the money to be putting on parties and paying the staff to attend. The Irish government and local authorities are in the same boat but don't seem to realise it. We have to carefully monitor every cent spent and do everything we can to keep the show on the road but the Irish government just don't have that mentality they seem so blahzay about the position they're in. One minute they're telling us they're going to turn off lights because they don't have the money the next they're spending money on unessentials and parties for themselves.

There's no solidarity between public and private sectors, their comfort levels while everyone else is suffering during our economic depression is infuriating and their performance and efficiency is nowhere near as good as the private sector.

The staff are paying for it themselves

dvpower

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

All they have to do is hand in their receipts.

Nice way to milk the system.

What the hell are you on about?

dickwod1

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

The Revenue is one of the few Govt departments which generates income.

LOL generates income? Takes tax from wages tax from shopping, esb, stamp duty, everything else that you buy, Generates income or just takes tax?

Jaysoose

nhojegan wrote: »

The staff are paying for it themselves

So then why cant they do it after five on their own time?

Its a non story but lets call it what it is, a free afternoon off that they will get paid for even though they are boozing it up.

goodie2shoes

nhojegan wrote: »

The staff are paying for it themselves

Xmas parties should be organised outside work hours on your own time, like everywhere else. team-building my arse.

so if the revenue lads decide not to go to the shin-dig, we the taxpayer will pay for them to stay at home, or do their Xmas shopping.

how is that fair?

donalg1

ScumLord wrote: »

I don't know, I'd be a bit annoyed with this. Indigenous Irish companies can't afford anything like this, Christmas parties are basically just everyone meeting in the pub as companies don't have the money to be putting on parties and paying the staff to attend. The Irish government and local authorities are in the same boat but don't seem to realise it. We have to carefully monitor every cent spent and do everything we can to keep the show on the road but the Irish government just don't have that mentality they seem so blahzay about the position they're in. One minute they're telling us they're going to turn off lights because they don't have the money the next they're spending money on unessentials and parties for themselves.

There's no solidarity between public and private sectors, their comfort levels while everyone else is suffering during our economic depression is infuriating and their performance and efficiency is nowhere near as good as the private sector.

They are spending their own money on parties for themselves arent they?

Richard tea

iregk wrote: »

In fairness this is a nothing story. I'm a private sector worker and in 3 companies that I've worked for coming up to xmas we always get a lunch followed by "unofficial" half day where lunch extends into beers which turns into an all night session. We don't and never have had to take a half day for it, it has been the companies way of saying thanks.

What's the problem here?

I miss the private sector. Family BBQ day with free food drink, free bar on nights out, weekends away in nice hotel all payed for by company. Never asked for doctors note even after been out sick for a week. The list goes on & on.

Samba

SuperGrover wrote: »

Got a gripe?

Fixed

nhojegan

Jaysoose wrote: »

So then why cant they do it after five on their own time?

Its a non story but lets call it what it is, a free afternoon off that they will get paid for even though they are boozing it up.

The work will still get done, they will just have to work harder before and after it.

Stopping this would do nothing to save the economy which they didnt ruin, and maybe kill off the last bit of goodwill left among their staff. A great way to turn a country around. I vote for you :rolleyes:

ScumLord

nhojegan wrote: »

The staff are paying for it themselves

They're getting paid to attend, private sector can't afford to pay staff to attend parties, I've never heard of that happening, even during the boom it was done outside of work hours. The cost of paying people to attend a party is going to be fairly high, probably much higher than putting out some finger food and getting a round in.

Fr_Dougal

donalg1 wrote: »

They are spending their own money on parties for themselves arent they?

No, they can expense costs and get a full reimbursement because it's happening during working hours. If it happened outside of working hours they would not be able to expense it.

Chips Lovell

Every private sector employer I've had has done the same. The only difference is most would pay for your lunch too.

nhojegan

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

No, they can expense costs and get a full reimbursement because it's happening during working hours. If it happened outside of working hours they would not be able to expense it.

But thats not happening is it!


or do you just not want to see this because it doesnt suit your agenda

donalg1

ScumLord wrote: »

They're getting paid to attend, private sector can't afford to pay staff to attend parties, I've never heard of that happening, even during the boom it was done outside of work hours. The cost of paying people to attend a party is going to be fairly high, probably much higher than putting out some finger food and getting a round in.

But arent they paid a salary and not hourly so technically no matter what time they have the party they will be getting paid?

Every company I have worked for have usually given us a half day or the last few hours off on the day we close up before Xmas would think it to be standard practice. Generally the management let the staff go and cover the office for a couple of hours before closing up.

Chips Lovell

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

No, they can expense costs and get a full reimbursement because it's happening during working hours. If it happened outside of working hours they would not be able to expense it.

Incorrect.
They're not allowed do this.

Cian92

ScumLord wrote: »

I don't know, I'd be a bit annoyed with this. Indigenous Irish companies can't afford anything like this, Christmas parties are basically just everyone meeting in the pub as companies don't have the money to be putting on parties and paying the staff to attend. The Irish government and local authorities are in the same boat but don't seem to realise it. We have to carefully monitor every cent spent and do everything we can to keep the show on the road but the Irish government just don't have that mentality they seem so blahzay about the position they're in. One minute they're telling us they're going to turn off lights because they don't have the money the next they're spending money on unessentials and parties for themselves.

There's no solidarity between public and private sectors, their comfort levels while everyone else is suffering during our economic depression is infuriating and their performance and efficiency is nowhere near as good as the private sector.

I work in the private sector at the end of the year we will go out for a meal paid for by the company followed by a big piss up also paid for by the company. A coach will be hired to bring people home, and all paid for by the company.

My mother has worked in the public sector all her life. She will have to pay for her Christmas party as she has done all her life. She doesn't get any bonus, unlike myself in the private sector. We get brought away to do paint balling and call it "team building" naturally this is paid for by the company. My mother in the public sector never gets this luxury.

Where she works they have never had the Christmas party during work hours, but I can't see why people would complain that the revenue would be allowed have a Christmas party held during work hours.

Many companies have huge "social" budgets (where I work they struggle to spend it each year) there is nothing like that in the Public Sector, stop begrudging people a day off.

EDIT: I nearly forgot that we always get a half day in the run up to Christmas as a thank you for our work done throughout the year.

dvpower

goodie2shoes wrote: »

how is that fair?

Why does it have to be fair?

If Revenue management decide that giving some of the staff a few hours off as a thank you gesture for their work during the year is a good idea then I don't see the problem with it.

Lots of companies will be doing something for their staff this Christmas. If a company can't afford to (or couldn't be seen to) pay for the Christmas party, it seems like a good idea to give the staff the time rather than the money instead.
Let the managers manage.

Death and Taxes

ScumLord wrote: »

They're getting paid to attend, private sector can't afford to pay staff to attend parties, I've never heard of that happening, even during the boom it was done outside of work hours. The cost of paying people to attend a party is going to be fairly high, probably much higher than putting out some finger food and getting a round in.

I worked for several companies which arranged Christmas Lunch parties that were on company time, it certainly was not unusal and still happens in some places. Also used to happen in some companies on the friday of the start of summer holidays too.
Lets not make a big deal out of this, in the scheme of things its nothing to get worked up about!