Having to pay for work team building day

[Notanawayday]

Name changed for this.

I work part time for the NHS band 3 with colleagues who are band 6/7 so obviously better paid.

Every year we have no choice but to go on an afternoons team building day. Patient diaries are blocked out so my colleagues can go and admin have to attend too.

Last year it was bowling, year before pottery painting so not too expensive.

We have raised before about the trust we work for paying for us to go as it is on work time and we have no choice but to attend. Last year a couple of colleagues couldn’t afford the bowling had to sit there and watch.

There is no way our trust will pay for this forced team building day so there is no point even raising it again.

I was on annual leave last week when it was decided by our clinicians team lead that we will all be getting the train then a tube to Canary Wharf where we will be going to some sort of quiz event involving completing puzzles. Entry fee is £25 and then have to pay for food and drinks and of course train and fare tube which we can’t claim back. Whole cost will be around£60 and we will be there longer than our work finish time.

Im so fed up. I don’t want to spend money to attend a work team building day. A lot of the clinicians I work with are looking forward to it because it means half a day of not having to see patients and of course they earn way more than us lowly admin.

I think I will have to say I can’t afford to attend and will stay at work and actually do my job. I know already how it will pan out, constantly being pressurised to attend, being told I will have a good time and how I have to go to be part of the team etc etc

I’ve worked in further education and the civil service and never had to pay to attend a work team building day and yet the NHS managers think this is ok?!!!

You don't need to be in a union to say I'm not paying for this.

As a doctor that's worked in 23 hospitals I've never heard of team building days within working hours where the nhs paying you still (particularly given the massive backlog waiting list I can't see how they can justify the missing time). I certainly wouldn't be spending my own money on something I didn't want to do either

I would ask what the objectives are for the team building. What will the success criteria be ? How will anyone know it has been worthwhile?
A team build should be for work purposes. And benefits. It should not be a jolly. That or some loon has totally misunderstood what a team build is for.

Who has chosen to go to Canary Wharf?
Employees should not have to pay for something which presumably the employer is going to get the benefit of.

I would keep asking questions. And yes, ask your union rep too.

I mean, it's the NHS, so there is no budget for anything at the moment, can't get roles filled, mutually agreed resignation, training limited, conferences just a no, if I put on education sessions for patients I have to buy tea and coffee myself (or have none!). So I imagine requesting a bowling etc. budget would be laughed out of the room.

We have a half day each year for service planning in a meeting room, and usually do it as a "fuddle' everyone brings a bit towards a shared lunch. If I want a fun event with my team (Christmas night out, celebration of something) we all fund this ourselves and it's not in working hours. However, its not mandatory for anyone, nor is contributing to cards/ gifts. If you can't afford it / don't want to come / have a better offer there's no drama about it.

I don't think you should be expected to join in any of these things if you don't want to and would absolutely bring it up with a more senior manager / FTSU.

If you want to go nuclear, contact the press to let them know about what is essentially a jolly on NHS time. Have they not heard of "the Daily Mail test"?

Most NHS admin staff are members of UNISON. I recommend you join as it seems you will continue to experience issues like this.

You’re getting a day away from your day job to do something nice with colleagues. What’s the issue? If you don’t like the activity maybe suggest (and organise) something different?

You remind me of folk where I work who moan that we never do anything however next come to / always moan about the things we do do!

expect the issue is I can’t afford it.

Ridiculous they expect you to fork out for something like this!

£60! And pressure to go! Bloody nuts

There was a similar team building day when I worked in a band 3 role in the NHS, but it was at the weekend and optional. It meant all the well-paid seniors went and had a jolly together while the dogsbodies were excluded. Not a team I wanted to be part of.

I’m sorry but I think it’s appalling that these days cost. Not just because you are excited to pay - but there a vacancy freezes and people are covering extra work n their work time whilst others are away from work for (forced) fun times. If it’s affordable for no work to be done for the whole afternoon (which will ultimately affect patients) if everyone did this it would be bedlam

Of course you should pay for your Christmas meal - why would you expect anything else? We don’t even get milk or fresh water - taps aren’t suitable to drink from in our building

I work in the NHS and have gone to lots of team building events ( absolutely hate them) but have never heard of people being expected to pay to attend. That’s shocking. There would be a riot if that happened where I work. Definitely raise it via FTSU

Agreed, it sounds horribly divisive rather than building a team.

Just say no? How can they force you to pay? Or to stay later than your usual time?
Just say you're not willing to pay or stay later, I unless ess paid over time - what can they actually do?

OP, you say that you are not in a union because you are admin, but I would be extremely surprised if there is no union representation for admin staff at the hospital where you work. I definitely think you should look into joining a union! However, regardless of whether you're on a union or not, no employer should be forcing employees to pay for activities that are part of the mandatory working day. I work in the private sector. I can tell you that if employees in my team were told they had to pay for a mandatory activity they would definitely refuse to do so on principle, regardless of whether there was an affordability issue.

blush the Christmas meal is in work time so what happens is the diary is blocked out for that afternoon during work time and we are all forced to go out and pay for a meal.

If it was outside of work then of course that would be different.

@Notanawaydayit seems many of your colleagues do enjoy it and whilst you don’t and don’t want to pay, it might be easier just to accept it (and the costs) as part and parcel of working their and “cost of employment”. Given they seem to happen annually it’s not like they’re surprised on anyone so people are in an informed position to be able to stay or change job if they dislike it that much. Try not to ruin the event of have it cancelled given others do like it

That's terrible. They can't make a team building day that you have to attend compulsory. Have you got a Union?, this is definitely something to take to them.

I always knew the NHS was a religion. This feels like a cult. Refuse.

I recently started as a Band 2 admin support and I have to say there’s no way this would fly at our office.
Just say you can’t afford it, it’s not like your take home pay is a mystery to anyone and no it’s appalling that such an expensive activity has even been suggested.

Why should she have to do something she hates and pay for it out of a meagre salary. If they want to make it voluntary that's fine then people who want to go and can afford it can go. OP has every right to complain .

Exactly this. And even if the OP were on a huge salary, she should still not be expected to pay for any work activities that are mandatory.

You can still be part of a Union whatever your role and personality I think it's essential