Forced "fun" in the workplace

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961705#Comment_119961705

It does. If I go in for an interview and I see one beanbag or fussball table I'm reticent.

gameoverdude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961733#Comment_119961733

Frown away they can.

Akrasia

My last job had some fun unforced stuff organised by the sports and social people rather than the company themselves and they were grand. 5 a side tournaments, go karting, tag rugby, table quiz etc

No pressure to participate

The Christmas party was way over the top, they spend about a hundred grand booking a famous 5 star castle hotel with a free bar and throwing out Ipads as spot prizes (back when they were cool and expensive)

Problem was they did this while they had just made a load of my colleagues redundant to save costs when they lost a contract.

Left a really bad taste in my mouth

Current job is 100% remote. We do the odd quiz on MS Teams, they're all on during work and cringworthy as they are, the point is to get people to interact outside of the usual work. Doesn't really work but they're making an effort

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119954322#Comment_119954322

What's a spirit week? I can safely assume it doesn't mean sampling everything on the top shelf 😋. I'm lucky I work for the stingiest company in the northern hemisphere, there hasn't been an Xmas party since 2008, thank fcuk 😏

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119954495#Comment_119954495

Swamp donkey 😅😅

I've never worked in a place yet that had a decent girl in the place, bloody heifers with hairy legs or a skinny yoke that sprayed cheap perfume over her b.o.🤢🤢. Tough to handle of a Monday morning after having a few Sunday spritzers 🤮🤮

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119954143#Comment_119954143

A rangers jersey for the jersey day, that should get the jaws flapping.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961630#Comment_119961630

Some of the “charity” days are ridiculous too. I remember volunteering to help with painting a school. The company paid for real painters to come in after us and do it properly. It was just a make-work project to make us feel good and forget about the tax avoidance that was starving schools of maintenance funding.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119959153#Comment_119959153

Having a “sport and social” heading on an evaluation form is truly bizarre and would probably expose the company to legal action if someone missed a promotion because of low social evaluation.

pgj2015

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961877#Comment_119961877

Or a Russian jersey.

Deja Boo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119954143#Comment_119954143

I never minded the Secret Santa farce, buy a Christmas music CD and good chocolates under the Secret Santa tenner limit... sorted, for co-workers you don't know well.

But a forced (monetary) "boss gift" one year, left a very bad impression. As a new employee (of only a fortnight), I was pressured by the other 3 long term employees to contribute a substantial 25% amount for an annual (and quite expensive) gift the (spoiled) boss had chosen for himself. They treated me like a selfish Grinch when I momentarily hesitated, implying it would've (quickly) gotten back to the greedy boss, that I was the reason he didn't get his precious toy (which didn't last through the year, he got bored with it very quickly.) I barely scraped together the gift "donation" (hadn't received my first paycheck yet), but I thought it best to prove good faith in continued employment and co-worker relations.

Interestingly enough, I was the only one (due to the short time I had been employed) who was not given any Christmas bonus. Good faith considerations don't extend both ways.

xxxxxxl

Depends on the place tbh. Have been in some where you absolutely leather the company card on the night out. To others with 1 beer voucher and you spend 40 on taxis never go to them.

Deeec

I think it's an age thing aswell. I used to enjoy work nights out but now hate them.

Our boss insists in having these nights in Dublin city centre - expensive restaurant followed by drinking session paid by the co. The problem is nobody lives in Dublin and the company does not pay for accommodation. So you end up having to pay for accommodation yourself, or having to stay with a friend or driving ( but not drinking) - boss can't understand then why people don't want to go.

I don't really want to get to know my work colleagues. I'm in my 40s and a bit older than most of them and don't have much in common with them. I have no interest in drinking sessions anymore either as I have kids to look after the next day. Sometimes I end up going for the meal, not drinking and then driving home ( after paying a huge parking fee) because I feel I can't say no to every event.

We don't get a Christmas bonus. I think everyone would prefer a bonus rather than a night out which actually ends up costing them money!

Also these events with drink involved can cause all kinds of spats and arguments between people which completely defeats the purpose of staff bonding events. It can end up very messy!

Mister Vain

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119962272#Comment_119962272

Also these events with drink involved can cause all kinds of spats and arguments between people which completely defeats the purpose of staff bonding events. It can end up very messy!

Exactly. Problems in the workplace are only exacerbated when alcohol is involved. My previous job had a toxic work environment and my boss thought that more social events would boost morale, but they did more harm than good. The staff had no problem saying what they really thought of him after a few drinks.

Flinty997

In my youth I enjoyed many a work social, and I've worked in places with a great social life.

But in my current job the people in my dept who go to the Xmas party are the people for the rest of year wouldn't have a cup of coffee with you never mind lunch. Utterly uncooperative and miserable to deal with for work. I've no interest in making small talk with them for the duration of a Xmas party. Complete buzz kill.

Deeec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119962425#Comment_119962425

I do think 10/20 years ago workplaces were more sociable. It no longer is acceptable to ask younger colleagues anything about their life outside of work. I found this out last year when my workplace introduced illness benefit and DIS benefit to all employees free of charge. To get it set up we needed all employees DOB and marital status. We explained what we needed this information for that it was to set up the benefit. Anyone over 30 didnt have a problem with this but 5 of the younger staff refused to provide the information - they wouldnt even provide it to the outsourced financial adviser. It did surprise me that people would be so secretive - afterall we can work out their age from their CV and given their age they are likely to be unmarried. This information needed to be provided to the insurance provider! So I learned not to ask anyone anything unless they volunteer information. I wouldnt even ask them what they done for the weekend for fear of causing offence!

This makes social events difficult - I can chat away to the older colleagues no problem because we share info about our personal lives but Im very careful what I say to other colleagues. I go into the office once a week and work from home the rest of the time - I notice nobody really chats anymore or people dont go out to have lunch together anymore. When I was younger I made such great friends from sitting having lunch together etc. It now seems possible to sit beside someone every day in work for years and know nothing about them. Work nights out or events do nothing to improve bonding, its just different times. There is literally no point trying to force people to bond.

Also its worth mentioning - a friend works in insurance and she was telling me that an employer can be held liable if employees have an accident at a work event even if its off their premises. I have a feeling that work nights out etc will be a thing of the past soon for this reason and thank god for that!

Flinty997

I think socializing and sharing personal information are not the same thing but I can see why one night impact the other.

Deeec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119962674#Comment_119962674

I have no problem with people not wanting to share personal info but its mind numbing having to have to sit beside them on a work night out and try to make conversation with them about the weather and how nice the steak is 😂

mariaalice

Conspiracy theory head, The US companies that use how social an employee is as a part of an evaluation process could be because of all the mass shootings in the US particularly mass shootings in workplaces. The more likely the employee is to take part in the workplace 'fun' and team building days the more likely they are to bond with their colleagues and less lightly to shoot them, or as it's a US company bond with their coworkers.

The number of people who hate their employers and strongly dislike their colleges is surprising, you only get one life, and is it really worth it year after year letting the chip on the shoulder grow bigger and bigger or like "Jacob Marley: "I wear the chain I forged in life! I made it link by link and yard by yard! I gartered it on of my own free will and by my own free will, I wore it!"

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119962772#Comment_119962772

Actually the reason US Corporates do it is not because they care about you getting shot by a co-worker. Its to so the company culture and interests become so entrenched in your life that become a higher priority for you then your own personal life and goals. You'll do more for less, and give more time to the company. Especially when these events are on your time not theirs.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119962701#Comment_119962701

Unintentionally that comes across as if you only find gossip about someone's personal life of interest.

There's a wealth of topics you can discuss with people, that don't involve personal information.

I meant People not wanting to share personal information especially with work who don't need to know. It's entirely different to being difficult to converse with .

Deeec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119962905#Comment_119962905

Wow I never said anything about gossip! Talking about the area someone lives or if they have children , or where they bought their shoes for example isn't gossip - it's called getting to know someone.

You must be a great friend to have flinty🤦‍♀️

techman1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119961853#Comment_119961853

What would be the male equivalent?

Beer belly and football Jersey combination along with big bushy greying beard ala Roy Keane style

mariaalice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119963275#Comment_119963275

Despite all the awareness and the like the poster quoted has entirely miss the point for the sake of your career do not to have an opinion on a colleges looks or demener male or female unless you want HR involved.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119963204#Comment_119963204

I'm just saying thats how what you said could be interpreted. Children is a interesting one. Single people, or childless, often dread the do you have children question. Often where people do have kids, they often bore you to death talking at you about their kids. I think it's touchy subject for many.

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119963339#Comment_119963339

Most colleges look the same to me, I'm assuming your passive aggressive remark is directed towards me. (colleagues is the word you're looking for btw). If a girl is skinny and stinking she's skinny and stinking, if a girl is fat and couldn't bother shaving her hairy legs getting HR involved might improve things, especially when said ladies have customer facing roles.

CoBo55

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119963275#Comment_119963275

Don't forget the armpit sweat marks on said jersey 🤢

Deeec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119963758#Comment_119963758

Yep and that's why I never ask anyone a question anymore which could be seen as personal unless they offer information themselves. I stick to general or work topics. In my opinion though it makes social occasions harder if you know nothing about the person and feel you can't ask them anything incase it may be deemed offensive.

swimming in a sea

I worked for a place that expected your partner to also attend the xmas party and stay over, it was all paid for and a nice hotel so i put up with it. First one was 2005 and last one i was at was 2009 and by this stage it was staff only and was held in the office and make your own way home. Celtic Tiger microcosm there :)

I've been a contractor for the last 5 years and you never get invited to anything, so good.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119963970#Comment_119963970

I think if people get to their work Xmas party and their colleagues are effectively strangers. It suggests there's zero camaraderie in the workplace and that the Xmas party is a tick box exercise..

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119964042#Comment_119964042

I had a similar experience. Then I switched to being a contractor for a few years. Even though I'm a long time not being a contractor I think it changed how I view the workplace.