DEAR ERIC: I am organizing a workplace event for approximately 50 participants and requested that they RSVP. To date, only five individuals have responded. Should I assume that the remaining invitees will not attend? If some of them arrive without confirming, how should I manage the situation? Given my limited budget, is it necessary to prepare food for all 50 people?

– Confused

DEAR CONFUSED: Send out a “last call” reminder to RSVP and be sure to note that if people don’t RSVP, you can’t guarantee that there will be space or food for them. And then only prepare enough for the yeses, with a buffer of an extra 10 percent or so, to help navigate anything unexpected.

(Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on

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