Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Work forcing walks

872 replies

CaramelCandle · 24/02/2021 13:08

My whole team is wfh. The manager has decided that everyone needs to walk 1000 steps a day on their lunch hour for the next month. We've been put into teams and have to record the steps and the team with the most will win a half day off. There were a few people not keen to take part but everyone has been put into a team anyway. AIBU to think this is stupid? I understand the idea is to get people away from their desk etc but it's the way it's been done so that you're letting your team down if you don't take part that I think is unfair. Surely it would be better to give people a choice without the guilt.

OP posts:
SimonJT · 24/02/2021 19:01

@JLQ1020

Hi we are currently doing something similar in work, but it's more about the distance rather than steps. So walking, runnings, dancing, even going to the shop. Its to encourage mental health awareness and encouraging ppl to get move and get away from work. We have had 2 ppl say the didn't want to take part. That is totally fine. If you don't want to take part just message the organiser to say you don't want to get involved and thanks for thinking of you. Simple
Why would you thank someone for punishing people for being disabled?
Dogscanteatonions · 24/02/2021 19:06

@LApprentiSorcier

... anyone else on the thread almost want this to happen to them so they can have the pleasure of telling the instigator to fuck off? Wink
YES! And I work for myself 🤣🤣
ememem84 · 24/02/2021 19:09

[quote SimonJT]@ememem84 Excluding someone with a disability is no different to a work place giving all men an extra day off.[/quote]
Or giving all women who have children (and go on maternity leave) 5 months off. But men only 2 days paternity leave. Because that’s the law here.

SimonJT · 24/02/2021 19:12

@ememem84 No it isn’t, men aren’t limited to two weeks of parental leave, I had 52. In your scenario if the woman takes five months if she has a male partner he can take six and a half months.

pumpkinbump · 24/02/2021 19:14

Mine did something like this. I bowed out stating that the team would lose as I only move to make a cup of tea.

ememem84 · 24/02/2021 19:17

@LunaHeather

Enemen "If an opportunity is open to everyone it’s open to everyone"

There is no opportunity under discussion here. OP says they have been told to do it.

But the employer cannot force her to.

If they told op to jump
Off a bridge it wouldn’t happen. So just say no I can’t/don’t want to take part.

It is as simple as that.

Or take part. Walk the 1000 steps while making lunch. The op hasn’t mentioned any disability she has. So we assume she doesn’t. Walk on the spot.

I do not consider myself to be disablist. Although apparently according to this thread I am.

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 24/02/2021 19:18

@ememem84 are you in the UK?

ememem84 · 24/02/2021 19:18

[quote SimonJT]@ememem84 No it isn’t, men aren’t limited to two weeks of parental leave, I had 52. In your scenario if the woman takes five months if she has a male partner he can take six and a half months.[/quote]
Dh was legally allowed 2 days paternity leave. I was legally allowed 5 months. That’s it.

I’m not in the U.K.

ememem84 · 24/02/2021 19:18

[quote AccidentallyOnPurpose]@ememem84 are you in the UK?[/quote]
No.

CaramelCandle · 24/02/2021 19:19

Thanks for all the responses. Didn't expect so many replies! I've been thinking about it and will be telling them I'm not taking part. Some members on my team are quite keen, others weren't bothered but said they'd try for the team. I do actually have a hidden disability. Some days I could manage the steps but others I couldn't but I don't want to have to explain that to the organiser (who is aware of my disability) or to my team mates. The manager is normally very good at their job and very supportive but is a fitness fanatic so it seems their usual attitude doesn't apply when it comes to fitness. Even if I get removed from the team, the numbers mean the teams then wouldn't be even so my team would still be disadvantaged but I'm going to do my best not to feel guilty for that and hope they don't resent me.

OP posts:
thewinkingprawn · 24/02/2021 19:19

I’d just make it up. Who cares. Tell them you’ve done 20,000 every day not worth making an issue out of.

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 24/02/2021 19:22

@ememem84 that explains a lot.

JustLyra · 24/02/2021 19:28

@ememem84

My office is in a building which is listed. There is no lift because it is not allowed by law because listed building. We are on not on the ground floor.

I’m not sure what would happen if work were to employ someone who physically couldn’t get into the office. Assume this would be dealt with but no idea how without moving offices.

If we have clients who cannot get to our office we make adjustments. But for a permenant employee. I guess they’d have to move wouldn’t they?

You are obviously in a place that accepts disability discrimination because there is no law in the UK about fitting disabled access to listed buildings.
LunaHeather · 24/02/2021 19:30

[quote AccidentallyOnPurpose]@ememem84 that explains a lot.[/quote]
Well, that a wasted contribution!

Thank goodness for the UK.

mathanxiety · 24/02/2021 19:33

Oops I missed the bit where the OP said she was being asked to do this pregnantly making the dinner surrounded by children whilst simultaneously breastfeeding from a wheelchair.

I thought she just didn't want to do it.

@GintyMcGinty, see Ninkanink's comment.

It's a real shame that people can't see the problem here.

Nobody should be put in a position of letting a team down, or in a position where they are being seen as 'difficult' because of inability to perform in any way in their own time, whether that's 1000 steps on your own time at lunch or going to a strip club with the lads on a business trip.

Setting standards for 'engagement' that have nothing at all to do with what you are paid to do has the potential to exclude large numbers of employees from favourable evaluations.

There are massive problems in an education system where people (presumably women here) can't understand what the problems are with this, what the problems have been historically, and how accepting an employer's right to make this sort of thing (1) possible, and (2) hard to opt out of can and all come back to bite them painfully in the bum, along with others who fall into disadvantaged categories.

There is nothing wrong with simply not wanting to do it, either.

This is not paid time, and her employer is seeking to dictate what she should do in it, with the 'motivational factor' of not letting a team down / facing having to put in work that should be done in the half day off the others will win.

CorianderBee · 24/02/2021 19:34

I wouldn't be OK with that, it's my break. I'll happily do 1000 steps on work time though.

CorianderBee · 24/02/2021 19:36

Although I didn't realise 1000 steps was so little.. I do go for a walk most days but it's the principal I would object to.

LunaHeather · 24/02/2021 19:36

math I don't think it's an education system thing

It's work culture and every idiot who think it's harmless fun creates a bigger problem

I don't think the education system would speak against this sort of crap anyway. They'd probably endorse it!

Lemonsyellow · 24/02/2021 19:37

Well said, @mathanxiety

ememem84 · 24/02/2021 19:38

I’m in jersey. Which is slightly backward. If you own a listed building you cannot make adjustments because of disability. Not sure what the gov here expect you to do if it’s your home but that’s not for me to worry about or fight about because it’s not something I have to deal with. My house isn’t listed and I don’t need disabled access. I appreciate I’m lucky because I don’t have a disability

Until recently the laws here didn’t recognise age discrimination. Or sex discrimination. I believe the maternity laws are changing.

I apparently cannot fill in my own tax form or speak about my personal tax affairs. Dh has to do this for me. Because I am his property according to tax law. But on the plus side I can go to the pub tomorrow and get my vaccine in a couple of weeks as our roll our is doing really well.

CorianderBee · 24/02/2021 19:40

@ememem84 what are single women supposed to do about their taxes etc if that's the case?

LunaHeather · 24/02/2021 19:40

"I apparently cannot fill in my own tax form or speak about my personal tax affairs. Dh has to do this for me. Because I am his property according to tax law"

I had no idea Jersey was like this 😱

ColdTattyWaitingForSummer · 24/02/2021 19:43

Well no one would want me on their team! I’m physically disabled and would be in agony if I tried to do that. I do know that crocheting or knitting makes a Fitbit count steps though Wink

mathanxiety · 24/02/2021 19:44

The qualification was open to everyone. I chose to do it. Others didn’t. So my office firstly paying for it, then congratulating me and giving me a reward are being sexist and disablist?

Despite the fact I worked hard and took time away from my family and worked late nights etc. But yeah. Disablist and sexist.

@ememem84
Yes, your company is disablist and sexist.

You were able to take time away from your family. Presumably you had childcare lined up? You did not have sole responsibility for a baby or small child and nobody else to take that responsibility off your shoulders?

There are single parents without support who could not have done that, plus parents whose partners work nights or shifts and could not have done that. People living far from friends or relatives or anyone else who could take care of babies or small children, or in a place where night time/weekend care for children is unaffordable or hard to find. There are many people who care for aging parents who cannot take the time to do a course in their own time. Some are facing both sets of responsibilities.

How many single mothers from your office who do not have a support network offering free childcare were able to avail of the 'equal opportunity'?

Did your office provide free and suitable childcare or elder care so that the opportunity really was equally accessible to all?

You use the words 'choice' and 'choose' to describe your decision to take the company up on its offer. Do you believe that all the others in your office were as privileged as you are and could equally choose to take up the opportunity?

Your office essentially congratulated you and gave you an award for having a support network that was able to take on your childcare or domestic responsibilities while you availed of an opportunity.

LouiseTrees · 24/02/2021 19:45

@CaramelCandle

They want screenshots from our phones to 'prove' it.
So shake your phone so it counts a step?
Swipe left for the next trending thread