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Original poster

To feel like resigning to avoid a horrible team building event

405 replies

evilharpy · 13/12/2017 19:11

It's been announced that my team (of about 15, all of whom I like but most of whom I don't know very well at all) is being sent to a team building event at the end of February. It's three days. Residential. Outdoor physical stuff. In February. It will be wet and freezing. We will have to share rooms. I hate the outdoors, especially when it's wet and freezing. I hate physical stuff unless it's a nice gym-based class. I will have to buy suitable outdoor clothes. And most of all I hate hate hate sharing rooms even with very close friends and will be desperately uncomfortable and miserable the entire time. The only way it could possibly be worse is if it involved camping.

I won't actually resign obviously (for one thing my notice period is longer than the end of Feb) but I will probably worry about it every single day until it's over.

Has anyone been on anything similar and can either confirm that it will be miserable or convince me that it might actually be fun?

OP posts:
Chottie · 13/12/2017 20:04

MupFlup words fail me......

I am so pleased I work in the public sector and there is no money to cover the cost of new kettle, let alone a team building exercise.

OP - I would just hate, hate, hate it too.

nancy75 · 13/12/2017 20:04

I went to team building thing once - they made us have races on space hoppers. Not Impressed

eddielizzard · 13/12/2017 20:05

sounds revolting. i can't comprehend that anyone would think this is a good idea... maybe the boss is getting a kickback. otherwise why the hell would anyone spend money on this??E!?!?!?

i would refuse to go. say it's for personal reasons.

AngryPrincess · 13/12/2017 20:05

Call in sick. You're totally allowed.

ShoesHaveSouls · 13/12/2017 20:06

I had to give up a weekend for a work teambuilding thing. To say I resented it is the understatement of the century.

It wasn't quite as outdoorsy as yours sounds - and actually it was quite fun. We had our own rooms and we all got drunk on sat night Grin

I think I'd have a breakdown at kayaks, raft building or abseiling.

guestofclanmackenzie · 13/12/2017 20:06

I 100% understand where you are coming from here, OP.

I'm self employed now but the one thing that I absolutely do not miss about working for a big organisation is the dreaded team building events.

I too can't stand all the outdoor type team building stuff.. Raft building, orienteering all that bollocks. Yuk.

The latest one I managed to get out of as I had just had a knee operation.. So I had the perfect excuse. Can you think of a believable reason (medical or personal) on how you can get out of it? Do you have kids? Surely those with kids can't be expected to just swan off overnight for a few days?

If not, I would feign enthusiasm for the event and then come up with the perfect excuse at the 11th hour. Life's too short to be sitting worrying and agonising over it from now till the event. It's not as if it's compulsory is it?

CurbsideProphet · 13/12/2017 20:10

It would be a cold day in hell before I would agree to that. If I didn't feel able to speak to my manager I would keep quiet my discontent and be suddenly struck down with norovirus.

OP you have my sympathies!

OuaisMaisBon · 13/12/2017 20:10

What fresh hell is this? I thought it was all over in the Eighties? Team-building, my backside. What is it with making adults turn into girl-guides/boy-scouts as part of their "professional development"? Jeez. I'd certainly resign, you are not over the top to do so!

usualGubbins · 13/12/2017 20:10

I thought these things had gone out with the flood! I've just refused to go on a week long event which would have involved room share and various activities that nobody could ever pay me enough to do. Luckily (??) I have an ongoing illness that prevented me going anyway but good lord I'd have invented something if not!

Pikachuwithyourmouthclosed · 13/12/2017 20:10

I would be wildly enthusiastic about it, REALLY looking forward to it, and then sadly come down with a vomiting bug the morning of the trip. Sad.

stillvicarinatutu · 13/12/2017 20:11

book annual leave. sorted.

alfagirl73 · 13/12/2017 20:12

Not a chance in hell I'd agree to anything like this! If they said anything I'd make them show me the bit in my employment contract that said I had to sleep in a room with my colleagues! And as for paying to get there and for my own gear - sod that!

I'd be tempted to buy a tubigrip type bandage, a set of crutches off Amazon... and tragically sustain a severe ankle sprain the day before! Just saying....

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 13/12/2017 20:13

This sort of activity is what the phrase "Fuck this shit" was invented for. Grin

rozes · 13/12/2017 20:13

How awful. Sharing rooms? I’d definitely refuse that! Or get super ‘sick’ so I couldn’t go...

PuppyMonkey · 13/12/2017 20:14

Don't resign, that would be ridiculous - but could you organise to have your leg broken? Maybe an arm? Grin

NerdyBird · 13/12/2017 20:15

My company would never dream of doing this. Thankfully I have several excuses to hand which at a minimum would get me my own room or out of it completely.

If you have children not having childcare is a good reason, if they know you have family nearby or a partner isn't it a shame that they are due to be away themselves then? Already booked and can't be changed...

PricklyBall · 13/12/2017 20:16

Looking into my crystal ball, I foresee a bad case of food poisoning afflicting you in February, Evilharpy Wink.

Nasreen · 13/12/2017 20:17

Sounds like my idea of hell on earth! However, you could as one of the other posters suggested, pretend to be REALLY keen and then when you are struck down with a virus no one has EVER heard of, you will ooze genuine disappointment!!
Other then that, caring responsibilities? Blimey I had a meltdown when I had to do 2 days away with my own room. Far too claustrophobic!

chocolateworshipper · 13/12/2017 20:18

Claim you have Crohns disease. You'll get your own room.

Knittedfairies · 13/12/2017 20:20

It will be a team-building event; the whole team will unite in the face of the idiots who came up with this idea. I would be amazed if you were the only person to be appalled at the idea of outdoor physical stuff. In February.

echt · 13/12/2017 20:21

I would refuse on the grounds of room sharing alone. And have done. When asked why I said I don't share rooms. Had to say it quite a few times, but never varied the script. I got my own room.

IsaSchmisa · 13/12/2017 20:22

It's particularly ridiculous when they do physical type things, simply because so many people won't be capable. I'm not disabled, not even in that ball park, but I do have a couple of issues and some of the stuff mentioned simply wouldn't be possible for me. But then maybe that's your get out clause.

Janetjanetjanet · 13/12/2017 20:24

You're too old to be sharing rooms with anyone.

BluePlasticBuddha · 13/12/2017 20:25

I once had to do a quad-biking team building weekend.

In winter.

We had to stump up for it ourselves, and the time was unpaid (because it was the weekend... Hmm)

When DH was in the posted abroad and so had no childcare.

Who thinks these ideas are good ones? Really?

diddl · 13/12/2017 20:25

Any idea what the activities would be?

Canoeing/rafting-no thanks!