To not go on a work team 'holiday'.

[awayintheclouds]

Some colleagues who work in my department have planned a trip abroad over 4 days next month. The job I work in is primarily remote based, with little office time, so their plan is to go to Italy for a long weekend, and work remotely on the Monday and Tuesday.

I was told about this yesterday, and am feeling pressurised to go to. The company will not pay, and if I was to go I would have to pay for it out of my own pocket. I have tried to make an excuse that now is not a good time, but everyone else seems on board, and I'm worried if I don't go I'm going to look unreasonable/unsociable.

Do I go and use money I can't afford right now, or just appear boring and stay here?

So you're all to pay for a holiday which you'll be working 50% of?

Have the company agreed to the remote working? How much work will really be done-- ?

That is fucking bonkers.

Just smile and say I hope you have a great time but I can't make it. No need for excuses or long drawn out reasons. Just smile and say no thank you.

That's very unreasonable. Decline!

My old work did these and company paud flights hotel and £100 allowance. I didn’t go - weekends were for family and I never socialised with work colleagues. I wasn’t the only one and no one said anything to me. Mind I was a director. Just don’t go

Yes! To me it does seem absurd. So their plan is to go late Friday night and return late on Tuesday. The company is fine with this, but it would be expected that we work as normal on Mon and Tues (this said, I think a degree of flexibility would be granted).

Say no. Mad people.

Fortunately only a month off you could easily have a commitment to go Bunburying some really important family occasion.

Well I’d like to do it if I liked my colleagues but if they’re not friends just colleagues then I don’t see the point!

Just tell them you can’t afford it right now, not boring at all.

There's no way any work is getting done on the Monday and Tuesday!

Absolutely don’t feel pressured to go if it’s not your thing. Wish them a great time and I agree with PP that you don’t owe an excuse.

You have plans and are sorry you can't go. End.

Just tell them you can't afford it! That's weird.

If they'd booked it 6 months ago the flights would have been dirt cheap. They've instead left it until a month to go.

YANBU.

The irony is, if I don't go I'm doing all of them a favour in a way, because I'll end up working twice as hard on the Monday and Tuesday to cover.

I know my colleagues well, and we have monthly socials, but if I was to go, I would use money I don't have, and money I really need to spend on other things. I'm just worried that by not going I'll be isolated from the team and it'll have an impact on future job stability/team relations.

Actually have I got this right? These people want to pay from their own pocket to work? Have they fully grasped the concept of work? It's one thing if you fancy a holiday with mates who happen to be colleagues but this is just bizarre.

Yes. Their argument is because we can work remotely for 75% of the working month, this is a great opportunity to go somewhere together abroad and spend the weekend socialising, and then work for 2 days in Italy.

I have thought since yesterday that it doesn't make a great deal of sense, but honestly, everyone else in the team seems completely enthusiastic about it.

Are they all young and/or single and hoping to get into each other's pants

If this was planned months in advance then it would be difficult to get out of but at this short notice a simple
"Sorry I've got plans that weekend" is all you need to do.

Don’t you have a family birthday that weekend? One you’re organising?

Surely they have to get management approval for any of this time away to count as 'work'? Otherwise it's holiday! If I was their manager, I'd be keeping a close eye on this.

Yes, I am one of three colleagues (out of 11) who is married, but this hasn't had any impact on apparent expectations.

I would feel terrible lying to colleagues and making excuses, and I feel embarrassed using money as an excuse if they can all afford to go - but if I genuinely can't afford to pay for something like this at a months notice, and if I was to do so I'd be making things very difficult for myself in the days following.

Management has approved this. They have a strong emphasis on team building because we primarily work remotely, but as I say, I suspect a certain amount of leniency will be granted for the two working days.

If they have a strong emphasis on team building they should be covering hotels for Sunday and Monday nights and a per diem for meals at the very least.

Just say you don’t have a passport