Should work pay for my tuxedo ?

thenumber3

I don't have a black tie style suit and have no reason for one personally.

Recently my company has been nominated for numerous awards at different events and my boss would like me to represent our company at them. They are all black tie. I want to look respectable so would want to wear a decent suit - not a €100 polyester "debs suit" but obviously not Tom Ford either.

From what I've checked out probably may end up costing €500.

Just wondering if it is fair that this should come out of my own pocket or whether work should make a contribution towards this?

Heart Break Kid

You could say you can't go because you don't have a TUX and leave it open if they want to jump in.

Is this part of your role? No different from wearing a suit to work or a meeting? There may be an expectation to wear a suit but their not gona buy you one.

M&S have some decent looking blacktie gear for €250.

fmpisces

I appreciate it's a lot to fork out for, particularly if it's not the sort of attire you'll wear again, or much.
If your work won't pay for or contribute towards a suit would you consider hiring one out? It would be a heck of a lot cheaper.

You can hire one or get a second hand one from eBay or adverts for cheap enough.

thenumber3

Heart Break Kid wrote: »

You could say you can't go because you don't have a TUX and leave it open if they want to jump in.

Is this part of your role? No different from wearing a suit to work or a meeting? There may be an expectation to wear a suit but their not gona buy you one.

M&S have some decent looking blacktie gear for €250.

Hi, thanks. I wear a suit to work but that's what I consider part and parcel of what I've signed up for. This black tie thing isn't - I am not officially involved in marketing or promoting the company etc. I actually think one of the reasons I've been asked to go to these events (which will be late into the night and therefore outside my standard working day) is because my boss simply doesn't want to go himself. While I'll get a free meal out of the events I'd much rather be at home enjoying my spare time.

thenumber3

fmpisces wrote: »

I appreciate it's a lot to fork out for, particularly if it's not the sort of attire you'll wear again, or much.
If your work won't pay for or contribute towards a suit would you consider hiring one out? It would be a heck of a lot cheaper.

There will be a fair few industry events over the next 6 months so hiring would be as expensive I think.

Augme

You could just go in a regular suit. Chances are you'll get in and if not then you have an excuse for your boss.

Lemsiper

Augme wrote: »

You could just go in a regular suit. Chances are you'll get in and if not then you have an excuse for your boss.

This. Definitely just go in your own suit.

Stark

Is it mandatory for you to go? I went to one last year, but it was optional, just a nice thing to attend as it was my team nominated for an award. We all ended up buying our own tuxes figuring we could use them again ourselves some point in the future. You can pick them up for much cheaper than 500. One guy picked one up in Penney's for 60 quid and no-one noticed he was wearing a cheap suit.

50HX

Hire one...

Look at the bigger picture here...your boss is happy for you to represent the company, he/she trusts you

This could lead to better things

It's a tux ffs ....... not a car you've to get

Rows Grower

thenumber3 wrote: »

I don't have a black tie style suit and have no reason for one personally.

Recently my company has been nominated for numerous awards at different events and my boss would like me to represent our company at them. They are all black tie. I want to look respectable so would want to wear a decent suit - not a €100 polyester "debs suit" but obviously not Tom Ford either.

From what I've checked out probably may end up costing €500.

Just wondering if it is fair that this should come out of my own pocket or whether work should make a contribution towards this?

How they can considerate it fair to expect such a capable person as yourself to represent the company at such prestigious award ceremonies (where there is a strong likelihood you will be exposed to press exposure) without some form of budget for attire and other miscellaneous expenses is just simply awful.

Are you a member of a trade union?

If so, I think you should contact your shop steward.

Forthwith, if not sooner.

mistersifter

IMO if it is them that asked you to go, you should be able to rent a tux and your job should pay for it.

antix80

Rent one and expense it.

whiskeyman

Just buy one or a black suit.
M&S will sort you out for around 200 quid.
It'll do you again.
Don't bother renting one.

screamer

I’d see this as petty. If someone has you marked out for greater things, don’t blot your copy with such petty rubbish. Be mature and professional and hire a tux and pay for it yourself.

mistersifter

It's not petty if he needs the money for other stuff.

It's petty from the company since the cash will be a much lesser dent on its finances than on an individual's.

This could also be just a case of nobody can be arsed going and OP is getting it landed on him. It's happened to me before where im being given the "privilege" of representing my employer at events. Not necessarily a sign of a promotion on the horizon (although that's usually the sort of **** employers will have you believe so that you take on extra work).

They should expense it if they asked him to go.

ste

mistersifter wrote: »

It's not petty if he needs the money for other stuff.

It's petty from the company since the cash will be a much lesser dent on its finances than on an individual's.

This could also be just a case of nobody can be arsed going and OP is getting it landed on him. It's happened to me before where im being given the "privilege" of representing my employer at events. Not necessarily a sign of a promotion on the horizon (although that's usually the sort of **** employers will have you believe so that you take on extra work).

They should expense it if they asked him to go.

Well whether you deem the employer petty or someone else here thinks him as petty is not really important - what will he colleagues & boss think? OP you've a choice to make

- ask to expense it & agree amount
- keep schtum & suck it up

Personally if this is a job I want & believe I can do well in & get promoted & more cash & by doing this Extra work this will forward my chance of success I'd suck up the cost & view it as an investment in my career.

Of course if I was confident my boss would not view asking to expense this as petty & I had no doubt, I'd expense it. & I wouldn't have posted here.

mistersifter

context is important alright.

If OP is already earning a very generous wage or there are serious opportunities that will come about as a result of attendance, or if it's simply part of his job description to attend these types of events, then he should suck it up.

I would guess this is not the case though. if the OP is posting on boards about it, he probably doesnt have 500 euro to be spending on a tux. Many middle of the road employees are struggling as it is these days without this sort of additional pressure and it's a bit cheeky of a business to ask someone who already works their bollocks off to start forking out of his own pocket to do something that is ultimately in the interests of the company (let's not forget that the OP is also giving up their personal time to attend this **** and there is probably going to cost him one way or another)

Who knows, the same boss who asked him to go is probably whacking the company credit card out of it whenever the humour strikes him so why keep schtum.


if OP does this once they may start hounding again and a precedent will be set. Ive seen cases of employees doing unpaid work and paying for stuff out of their pockets to get in the good books and their actions have gone totally unappreciated by those they're trying to impress.

Maybe OP will provide more context.

krissovo

It’s hard to give any advice without knowing the details of the event, the OP’s level and company culture but these events are normally a great networking experience and useful for career growth.

I would rent a Tux, keep the receipt and informally ask if I can expense it back.

Elemonator

You can pick up some fantastic tux jackets in the Next catalogue. I’ll estimate some prices for you based on what I paid. Go for a black velvet tux jacket at about €120, trousers are €40, shirt is €35, velvet bow tie is €15, and wear good black work shoes. Not even close to €500 and the stuff lasts forever, I’ve taken it to multiple law balls and got complimented on it by the most stylish heads there.

Bear in mind as well that you will the face of the award for your company. Could lead to better things in the future and being asked to go is an indication of trust from your manager.

Augme

The fact that his manager asked the OP to go and isn't arsed going himself says everything we need to know about the importance or usefulness of the event tbh.

Always Tired

50HX wrote: »

Hire one...

Look at the bigger picture here...your boss is happy for you to represent the company, he/she trusts you

This could lead to better things

It's a tux ffs ....... not a car you've to get

as OP said, the boss is likely having him go because he can't be arsed going himself. so it's just going to lead to more of that.

Maybe ask your boss if he has a tux you can borrow, or, if he isn't your size, if he knows anyone has one. That way you aren't saying you can't go, you aren't asking for money, but you are letting him know that you're stuck for one and putting the ball in his court.

If he advises you to buy one out of your own pocket say you aren't going to buy one for just one event and will go in your suit and see what he says then, again puts the ball back in his court. If he doesn't offer to help you out I'd just come down with a case of the sniffles the night of tbh unless you actually are keen on going.

Shouldn't cost you money to do your job outside of getting there and lunch. Unless you are self employed of course, which I'm sure isn't the case here.

Redpunto

No

Always Tired

screamer wrote: »

I’d see this as petty. If someone has you marked out for greater things, don’t blot your copy with such petty rubbish. Be mature and professional and hire a tux and pay for it yourself.

This is exactly how employers get away with this rubbish. They don't want to go to some poxy thing so think that some underling with stars in his eyes will lap up the chance to go thinking about these 'bigger and better things'.

Shouldn't the boss WANT to go, and as the higher ranking person be setting an example of commitment to the company by representing them. Instead of making a worker go on his own? What bigger and better things are there - become jaded like the boss who can't be bothered to go to industry events any more?

Steve

thenumber3 wrote: »

I don't have a black tie style suit and have no reason for one personally.

How much are they paying you? salary?

sure if you are on minimum wage then yeah you have a point. If you are on 150K and get sent to awards then get your own feckin tux..

screamer

Always Tired wrote: »

This is exactly how employers get away with this rubbish. They don't want to go to some poxy thing so think that some underling with stars in his eyes will lap up the chance to go thinking about these 'bigger and better things'.

Shouldn't the boss WANT to go, and as the higher ranking person be setting an example of commitment to the company by representing them. Instead of making a worker go on his own? What bigger and better things are there - become jaded like the boss who can't be bothered to go to industry events any more?

Again depends on whether you have a jaundiced view of your boss and workplace. I’ve often, as a boss, given opportunities away to represent the team or the company in order for someone to get some limelight. Of course, always strategic and giving opportunities that fit with their career plans and to engaged and enthusiastic people. I would definitely still see the expensing as petty, as a tux costs less than 100 euro to hire.

RacoonQueen

Augme wrote: »

The fact that his manager asked the OP to go and isn't arsed going himself says everything we need to know about the importance or usefulness of the event tbh.

How do you know the boss isn't arsed? Perhaps the boss thinks the OP would be a better representation of the company the they would be themselves because they have people skills the boss does not have.
My company send different people to these events, it looks good to have different people picking up awards.

mistersifter

Well we've no further info to go on here but a couple of points.

If it is the case the OP is the best man for the job then that only supports the argument that it's in the company's interests to have him there and that he should be allowed to expense the thing.

As regards the "ah sure you can pick a tux up for 200 quid" argument - fair play to whoever doesn't think that 200 quid is a big expense. I wouldn't be forking it out unless there was something concrete in it for me.

You should be able to approach your employer about something like this and ask for a dig out. If they can't comprehend this without calling you a stinge or if they dont encourage you to go in just a regular suit, then they're c*nts. I'm not saying they should be buying you a custom fitted Hugo Boss number, but they should be offering something (especially if youre a lower level worker on a mediocre wage)

as for arguments such as "but what will your colleagues think of you if you ask for expenses?" or "just pay up because you will be able to network at the event": This to me sounds like nonsense from company men and the exact type of sh*t that gets spouted by senior colleagues looking to fob work off on those below them.

Most of us dedicate enough of our time to our jobs and should be able to turn down this sort of stuff anyway without being pressured into it by some middle manager.

Also, I dont think bosses generally respect people who just passively say "yes, yes, yes" to everything. You'll get a lot further by being able to speak up for yourself in a courteous and professional manner in situations like these. And by being able to say 'no' when you dont want to do something. A well-channeled "not giving a f*ck" attitude will stand to you more than being a walkover.

If you dont ask, you dont get. And there most certainly is a way of asking while not coming across like a scabby ****er.

Heart Break Kid

If suits are part of the parcel, it sounds like tux’s are too

thenumber3

Hi all, thanks for the feedback. Some posters were looking for a bit of context:

Marketing and promotions are not part of my job role
I do agree however I am probably best to represent the company at these particular awards
In relation to hiring, there will be at least 5 events to attend so economically this is not viable
I know how my firm operates and there will be no internal promotion resulting from this
I don’t see how the amount of my salary matters, I am on a reasonable wage but for me it is the principle of this. Also, I will be effectively working at these events in the evening after my standard working day and while one or two can be enjoyable to attend every so often, from what I’ve been told they can be dull after a while.
While I am not suggesting he would buy a suit on expenses, my boss if attending would be pretty fast to expense taxis to and from, buying drinks and even the odd hotel stay in the city even though he just lives 5 miles away
Looking online at photos of past events everyone seems to wear tuxedos, I think wearing even a dark suit wouldn’t look right