I work for a company that has grown rapidly in recent years. They have started to throw annual gatherings to bring all the staff together for networking and a few corporate presentations. We didn't have them in 2020 or 2021 due to covid, even as online events.
This year they just HAD to throw a conference now that there are no covid restrictions. Attendance was mandatory and nobody was allowed to book leave that day.
All attendees had to travel a minimum of 6hrs on public transport (your own vehicle couldn't be expensed), into a busy city where currently 1 in 18 people have covid and there are no rules on mask wearing.
Before the presentations they crammed 500 people into two rooms with two water stations. People had sweat dripping down their foreheads we were that tightly packed and everybody needed water. The presentations were in an auditorium and better spaced. Afterwards they crammed us all into one bar which was even more packed and I couldn't even move past the door so I just left.
I left the bar fuming at my employer for making us attend an event and then not even ensuring a big enough space for us to keep any personal space. If you can't do something safely, I don't think you should do it and gamble with your employees health.
Unsurprisingly I got sick and tested positive for covid afterwards. So far I've heard of about 15 other cases from the conference.
I've already decided I'm taking 2 weeks (paid) sick leave regardless of when my symptoms clear. If you're going to gamble with my health, that's the price of losing.