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Unless your anxiety is on record with HR and you can ask for a reasonable ADA accommodation to not attend what sounds like a mandatory in-person work meeting, then the fact that you've never been to Denver is not your company's problem. They just need to have their employees' travel arrangements made and submitted for reimbursement ASAP. You defying a request from a manager without discussion might backfire on you in this new company arrangement.
This is very good advice.
FWIW, if anxiety is your issue, I hear Denver has some places around where you can buy OTC cures for Anxiety, so there's that. The altitude is not really an issue, you "might" feel it if you are doing extreme exercise, but even there, in Denver it will be minimal. If you went into the mountains, it would be worse.
If your company requires you to travel, then you have to decide if you can be on board with that. You might "talk to" your supervisor and see if they'll let you remote in, but "refusing" or "making demands" is a bad way to start with a new company. Especially one that seems to expect their employees to "be there when needed". If I were you, I'd evaluate if you want to stay or not, but don't do anything until you have an alternative to fall back on.
Just my two cents. (but mostly: They have a solution for anxiety in Colorado!)
It is common for my employer to demand travel involving air flight and stays over one day in less that 24 hours.
Just recently I was expected to make travel arrangements at 4pm, to fly from central Texas to Detroit at the next morning at 5am
They do this last-minute travel all the time and expect the employees to drop everything and go. Note that we are all engineers, most with PhDs.
What's the difference between being around "work" people and total strangers at some venue? Believe me, you'd better learn to adjust or you won't have an office or a job.
I agree. The company was bought out, the new owners called a meeting, if she doesn't go I don't see her having a future with this company any more.
Not going would be a bad choice IMO because we're heading into a recession.
I've been watching a show on TLC about hair and skin, think it's called bad hair day, anyway, a few women have sought help for baldness that happened since COVID. The doctor said it is pretty common to see patients losing their hair due to all the stress of COVID.
If the OP is really that stressed out she better seek help or find a new WFH job which I personally don't think will last. I think some WFH jobs will be hired out to cheaper countries.
If your company requires you to travel, then you have to decide if you can be on board with that. You might "talk to" your supervisor and see if they'll let you remote in, but "refusing" or "making demands" is a bad way to start with a new company. Especially one that seems to expect their employees to "be there when needed". If I were you, I'd evaluate if you want to stay or not, but don't do anything until you have an alternative to fall back on.
That's the thing--if the OP really doesn't want to go, then she's got to step up, speak to her manager, and provide an excellent case why going on this trip would be a hardship (and also to brainstorm how she can make up for the introductions and networking that will happen.) Just not making the travel arrangements on the sly is going to make her look flaky and unreliable as a first impression.
Last edited by fleetiebelle; 10-07-2022 at 08:00 AM..
We were aquired by a company and today we get an email from the dept manager she wants us all to meet in Denver (all of us are scattered) and we need to book our flights by Friday for Nov 1 to the 3rd. I am not going to do it. My anxiety has been bad and I don’t know how I will handle the altitude either. I’m from the Midwest and have never been to Denver.
Yes common as flights booked early will get a better rate usually. But seems your concern is not with time of booking, but travel in general.
Discuss with your boss.
Used to travel extensively doing field service for industrial automation systems. Usually jobs were planned and travel arrangements made at least a week ahead, up to maybe a few months ahead. Any travel expenses were billed directly to customer and the expectation was to be mindful in getting a reasonable rate for airfare and hotels.
But also had emergency jobs. Customers saying I need someone on a plane today, preferably in the next few hours. Nature of the beast. Those were money is no object situations. When a machine/line being down is costing you $50k/hr a $2000 last minute plane ticket for a tech to come fix it is nothing. I've flown places to meet someone at the airport to hand deliver a part, then flown right back home. Just because that was a few hours faster than UPS or FedEx could get it there.
That was not a work trip. I can’t socialize or be around a group of work people. I sweat uncontrollably and can’t function. I’ve dealt with if in office settings but it’s been 2 and a half years since I’ve worked in an office. The thought of being around people knowning I’m stuck for 2 days makes me sick.
What you need to do is make an appointment with your family doctor and get a referral/recommendation to see a professional licensed therapist or psychiatrist to help you cope with this. Sounds like you are in a good employment situation, and you don't want to lose it or be limited in your role and career by refusing to participate in regular events and activities. In your own best interest, you need to work on this, not avoid it.
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The altitude is not really an issue, you "might" feel it if you are doing extreme exercise, but even there, in Denver it will be minimal. If you went into the mountains, it would be worse.
