Forced work "fun"

ASmallWonder · September 2013

Holy hell, do I hate this. I have to attend a week long offsite next month and when I went to register it told me to pick an activity - zip lining, golfing or hiking. Hell to the no on all of those, for various, personal reasons. Not choosing wasn't an option. Thankfully, I'm attending as a coordinator so after talking with the admin who is running the entire thing, I know I can bow out. She actually wanted to do the zip lining but thought she'd have to stay behind in case someone needed something and I quickly volunteered to take her spot. I loathe when a job tries to force fun on you. Those are all physical things and it really puts people in an awkward position if they can't do them or really, just don't want to. It's not part of your job and no one should expect that they'll be required to zip line, amirite?

ASmallWonder · September 2013

LoisLayn23 said:

I'd prefer to do an activity rather than forced 'team building" bullshit games.

Oh, don't be fooled. This is totally "team building." I much prefer when they have us build bikes for charity and stuff. Making people choose a physical activity I think is going way too far.

LuckyDad · September 2013

You know what I love about my company?

Most of our team fun involves booze, and is during regular working hours.

theseaword · September 2013

I'm a manager and I hate it too. My team seems to like social stuff though, so I'm the awkward idiot who ruins it. We never do anything as adventurous as zip lining though. More like billboards night or a wii bowling tournament.

CinemaGoddess · September 2013

My old job was like this. They had in-office shindigs every other week or so. You weren't required to attend, but you were treated differently if you didn't.

I hated going and refused to do so after a handful of them. They tried to pack 150 people into lunchroom designed to fit 75 and it was always uncomfortable being in there.

This horseshit extended to after-hours. People would pointedly invite others to go to happy hours in front of people who weren't invited. Namely, me. This happened almost daily but I didn't really give a fuck because I don't make friends at work. Then everyone started adding everyone to their FBs and shenanigans ensued when someone defriended someone else. Like fucking HS, man.

But guess what? I'm one of the few people in that place that actually got all of her work done every day, usually well before the end of the work day. Because I wasn't spending all my time socializing for the "greater good of the firm".

Fuck that shit. I will never work in that kind of environment again. I am at work to work, not to be all buddy-buddy with my co-workers.

studyinpink · September 2013

That's busted. Who does that? @morgann2010

ASmallWonder · September 2013

@CTGirl30 No, I don't think so but I dislike that you'd have to explain your inability to people. Or your fears or whatever. For me the issues are: Zip lining - I'd piss myself in fear and end up in tears Hiking - people, I just had a baby. I don't have the energy or stamina for that shit. Golf - I'm 2 feet tall. Unless you want to custom make me a golf club ahead of time, I'll pass on the awkward hustle to find me something that works with my physical limitations, thus embarrassing me in front of all my coworkers.

There should have been a place on the registration for comments :-p

LuckyDad · September 2013

morgann2010 said:

Also, I hate when you are scheduled for company picnics and not attending counts as calling out of work. Wtf? That just means more food for other people.

Assuming it's during normal work hours, just make an appearance and sneak out early.

ASmallWonder · September 2013

I was telling my brother about this... He worked for years in Korea as a teacher. The first year he was invited out time and again for dinner and karaoke and he'd decline. A coworker pointed out that, culturally, this wasn't acceptable and he really needed to go. So he talked to the person coordinating it and made it clear he's a vegetarian. He got there and they had pre-ordered, ordering nothing for him and then ignored him the rest of the time. He was livid.

At his next assignment he was invited to go out and declined and they were all "but you have to. It's offensive not to." He said "Yeah see, I made it really clear to my recruiter that they were to tell you that I wouldn't be doing that so please don't ask me again. Ever." He wasn't well liked lol

ASmallWonder · September 2013

@CTGirl30 I think everyone already thinks I'm a giant PITA lol We have this event and one other every year and every time, the boss wants to buy some company branded POS "gift" and it's usually an article of clothing. I'm always the loud mouth who says what everyone else is thinking - I don't want it and it's a waste of money. I'd rather get nothing.

msdrdg · September 2013

We have a company picnic coming up on Friday. While attendance is not mandatory, it is during company hours (off site) and we are NOT getting paid for it and the company is closing early so we lose the 4 hours of pay not matter if we go or not.

At least there will be booze (byob).

missyishere · September 2013

My former job was fun. As soon as the moles of the office were out, we goofed off and drank wine.

ASmallWonder · September 2013

@Mom2Oli I think that's why a lot of people hate it - they ALREADY spend more time with their work people than their family and dammit, they're not spending any more!

This week long thing means I'm away from my boys for 5 entire days (and nights), being forced to hang out late into the night because they plan work stuff 9-5, a short break and then dinner and an activity until 10 or 11. Then to make it a physical activity? Eff.that.

JPinkman · September 2013

Would you rather go skeet shooting?

That was an activity option at a recent firm event...

[-(

LuckyDad · September 2013

msd-rdg said:

We have a company picnic coming up on Friday. While attendance is not mandatory, it is during company hours (off site) and we are NOT getting paid for it and the company is closing early so we lose the 4 hours of pay not matter if we go or not.

At least there will be booze (byob).

Fuck that shit.

theimpossibleastronaut · September 2013

If I could go hiking during work hours, I would. I'm too chicken for ziplining and golfing is not a sport. If it was after-hours, I'd say no.

ASmallWonder · September 2013

@RiverSong82 Golf is a physical activity that some people are not physically able to participate in.

theimpossibleastronaut · September 2013

elmoali said:

@RiverSong82 Golf is a physical activity that some people are not physically able to participate in.

True. I just dislike golf in general. It harkens back to another thread about golf where I said the only golf I do is mini because you can win an ice cream at the end. RE: Bad attempt at joke. Sorry.

I wouldn't want to be forced to participate either, because that sucks. But I'd, personally, be down for a hike on company hours. It'd be a good change of pace for me.

virgin4lyfe · September 2013

Wowww. I think I'm just gonna marry rich and stay at home.
Though there's a part of me that also hates that idea because feminism.
But I'm lazy.

LuckyDad · September 2013

KJLx121 said:

Wowww. I think I'm just gonna marry rich and stay at home.
Though there's a part of me that also hates that idea because feminism.
But I'm lazy.

Doesn't work. Spouses are often expected to attend boring rich guy work functions.

MrsJakes · September 2013

I was one forced to play paintball at a company training session. I was hoping to get on a team that would lose in the first round. No, I ended up on the winning team. We ended up playing like 8 games. It was the middle of summer, and it took hours! I was wearing long sleeves, blue jeans, and a face mask. I was absolutely miserable.

virgin4lyfe · September 2013

LuckyDad said:

KJLx121 said:

Wowww. I think I'm just gonna marry rich and stay at home.
Though there's a part of me that also hates that idea because feminism.
But I'm lazy.

Doesn't work. Spouses are often expected to attend boring rich guy work functions.

Well, damn.

olechka · September 2013

My work does this a lot and before kids, I loved it, my husband came along to a lot of events too. Now, i want to leave at 5 to get my daughter by 6 to spend 2 hours a day with her. My team understands and doesn't hold it against me, i'm all for lunch/before 5, the rest, no thanks.

Last year, they planned an event in another state with a bus trip to have a "planning meeting" and hang out after, i definitely didn't see a reason to leaving my kid for 2 days, not getting work done and then having to make up at night/weekend just to take this bus trip, so i didn't go.

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