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My company sprung some of this horse**** on us and forced us to do the kum-ba-yah teambuilding crap. The first one was herding us into a room and sorting us into "teams" to show cooperation on building things. As usual, the chirpy HR and rah-rah leaders of this BS have no competence past kindergarten, so they gave us Tinkertoys to use. Seriously.
Each group chose a team leader (I was chosen due to being an engineer) and gave us X time to see whose Tinkertoy construction was the tallest. The only rule: It can't be supported by anyone holding it. I told my group to just sit still as the clock counted down. They got nervous as it got down to a minute, watching the other groups frantically building, arguing, and trying to add one more stick to gain height. When the clock showed 15 seconds, I stood up on the desk and jabbed one Tinkertoy stick into the soft ceiling tile above us and sat back down. The reaction was hilarious. The other groups cried foul, and the "teacher" tried to disqualify us for not trying. I patiently pointed out, again and again, we had followed the rules to the letter.
When I'm subjected to this garbage, I at least try to throw a wrench into things, and make sure the chirpy cheerleader enjoys it as much as I do.
Someday I'll tell you what I did to liven up diversity training -- but not until I've had a few beers.
While I agree with you in principle, especially when these things are run by HR and outside consultants (who are there to con and insult you), we've also had a lot of these things where the "facilitator" was just one of us who was ordered to volunteer to run the event. Heck, I've even had my turn as the one in front and believe me, I wanted to be there even less than the folks in the room. We even had scripts to follow. About the only thing I would adlib is just before going on the clock announce "Ok guys, we all have to be here, so let's try to get through as painlessly as possible and remember, the sooner we finish, the sooner we get out of here."
Oh, the other thing I noticed is when the training was done by consultants, there was always a young (30s or younger) attractive female as the chirpy cheerleader.
Make it clear you don't want to share a room. If asked, simply said it was for personal reasons.
Yeah like: I usually like to cruise the local bar and see if a few folks are up for some late night action!
I usually need a lot of room since I like to film it, so the camera guy will be there, probably a lighting guy and a few others. Just make the story as crazy as possible!
I got roped into this many years ago when I worked for a couple of cheap-ass chiropractors who insisted that I share a room with my co-worker at one of those "seminars" (who was OK, but kind of brainwashed by these two...totally into anti-vac, Tony Robbins walk on hot coals, etc.). When I balked at the idea, then I was asked if I had "other plans" in Vegas. As if.
It was awful for both of us, I suspect. No privacy whatsoever to read a book on my "off time", walk around the hotel room in my birthday suit, take a poop without worrying that I was stinking up the place, etc. I offered to foot the bill for my own room, but those two clowns threw a fit and accused me of not being "a team player".
Never again.
Last edited by TheOldPuss; 08-24-2019 at 08:28 AM..
I worked 28 years for a company that required employees to share rooms. No exceptions. When the company was a lot smaller than the $1B+ it is now, I shared with the CEO. Over the years I managed most of the time to not share through various excuses, but I've heard that lately they are now forcing employees to share, no exceptions. You can pick your roommate but if you say no, they just put you in with a random other employee. I had some very uncomfortable nights.
When I was a state employee, it was state law that employees of the same sex traveling to the same place together would room together. Rooming with my boss for a couple of days wasn't the worst thing in the world.
As a taxpayer, I appreciate it when government mandates things that use tax money wisely.
Am I wrong for not wanting to share a room with a coworker I barely know? I want to pay for my own room. I don’t want to sleep in a room and share a bathroom with someone. I don’t want anyone to know if I snore or if and when I have to get up in the middle of the night to pee. What if I have stomach issues? I’m not being unreasonable.
"Right"? "Wrong"? All I know is, I wouldn't do it. Period. They will bend, or they can try to find someone to fill the hole I leave behind.
An employer who's trying to force people to share rooms is a cheap employer. Cheap employers will pay you cheaply and treat you cheaply. Just say no.
And why would you ever pay for anything on a business trip? I expense everything. If I buy a cup of coffee, it gets expensed. About the only exception is if I sit at a bar by myself. But if anyone else is there, either coworker or customer or prospective customer, it gets expensed. All those nickles and dimes add up. And a room is frequently the biggest single line item on an ER... there is no effing way I'm swallowing that. If I'm traveling for the company, the company's paying.
just tell your employer you like to sleep naked so you need your own room
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