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Original poster

Work away day- i dont want to go!

78 replies

Porridgepudding · 22/04/2025 16:44

Hi, I have a team building away day later this month. At the last team meeting it was decided it would be at a physical activity day ( think assault course / ninja warrior type thing) I wasnt in the meeting as I was away at another meeting or I could have objected. Originally it was going to be bowling and food after.
Added to this we have to pay for the day (£50) I really dont want to go, but I'm unsure how this will be perceived. I have been with the organisation almost 2 years. Last year it was a more typical team building type day- group activities, a talk, buffet spread.
What should I do?

OP posts:
PuppyMonkey · 22/04/2025 16:57

Paying to go? Sod that.

SummerInSun · 22/04/2025 16:55

Refusing to go on a team building day, or making a lame excuse to not go (eg suspiciously getting ill at the last minute) will be perceived very poorly. Including by all your colleagues who also aren’t keen but are sucking it up. Much better to go, be a good sport, and if it’s something you don’t want to do or aren’t physically up to, make a friendly joke and say something like “Rock climbing isn’t for me, I’ll be the official photographer from down here” or “I’m afraid my football days are long behind me, I’ll be the cheer squad” or whatever. Friendly, engaged in another way, but firmly polite.

That said, I’ve never heard of anyone having to pay out of their own pocket to go on one of these things. That’s pretty outrageous.

Cadenza12 · 22/04/2025 16:48

How can they make you pay for a team building day? Surely it's optional in that case?