Page 22 | Work forcing walks

CaramelCandle · 2021-02-24T13:08:31+00:00

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.

Sparticuscaticus · 25/02/2021 10:33

"Off desk time" I meant to say own unpaid lunchtime off their desk..

Alexindiamondarmour · 25/02/2021 10:34

Tatiana - I’m not employed actually. I meant people telling me I have to do fitness things.

Alexindiamondarmour · 25/02/2021 10:35

And before you jump on me for not having a job, I’m a SAHP

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 25/02/2021 10:40

Sellotape your phone to a washing machine with one wet bath towel in it on put it on the spin cycle.

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 25/02/2021 10:40

@thewinkingprawn

It is exactly as *@ColdBrightClearMorning* said. It’s all the intangible things that people massively under call. Not being seen as a team player, being passed over, labelled as a pita. I actually think it is a good thing that workplaces are encouraging this. You must do 1000 steps over the course of a day so just send that in for goodness sake. The idea of contacting a union or quoting disability or diversity acts are utterly bonkers and where mumsnet really doesn’t help in the real world. As a manager they are just trying to promote team work frankly which is something very hard when everyone is at home and if you were to tell me that you were unable to participate unless for very good reason at some point in the day I’d obviously say fine but I’d roll my eyes in my head and so would many team mates.

You'd be wrong and a bad manager. I'm a great teamplayer(mostly in work time). You don't get a say or to eye roll over what I decide to do with my own time.
OP's work demanded that this is done at lunch time. So no, "during the day" does not count.

thewinkingprawn · 25/02/2021 11:19

@AccidentallyOnPurpose in your opinion only 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 but then we all have a right to choose a team that fits together well and someone who resists efforts to join in (at any point in the day) to promote teamwork under current extenuating circumstances would not be welcome in mine. And unless you have control of my head actually I do get a say in what I think. I think you have completely misunderstood intangible consequences. You sound a right old pita as does the OP.

Sosigsandwich · 25/02/2021 11:35

1k steps is literally a 5 min walk. Would it do any harm?! I would happily do that for extra time off work!

acatcalledjohn · 25/02/2021 11:40

@Sosigsandwich

1k steps is literally a 5 min walk. Would it do any harm?! I would happily do that for extra time off work!

For you. The OP has health issues.

RTFT.

Thelnebriati · 25/02/2021 11:42

Sosigsandwich If you don't read the thread, it makes it hard to read the room

Ileflottante · 25/02/2021 11:43

I’m so late to this party but I want to say my piece!

I despise the work intrusion into home life. They can already see my home (I’ve holed myself up in a corner now) as it is insisted on no backgrounds or blurring of backgrounds. People have also developed a habit of enquiring about things they can see in your home and asking to be shown.

But insisting on organised competitive ‘fun’ and activity during down time? No. Fuck off. And I hate the demonising and shaming those unwilling or unable to join in to something that cannot be insisted upon by twat managers, who don’t take part themselves.

As I said before. No. Fuck off.

Ileflottante · 25/02/2021 11:45

@thewinkingprawn I think a few of us would be glad not to be welcome in your team.

unmarkedbythat · 25/02/2021 11:47

[quote thewinkingprawn]@AccidentallyOnPurpose in your opinion only 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 but then we all have a right to choose a team that fits together well and someone who resists efforts to join in (at any point in the day) to promote teamwork under current extenuating circumstances would not be welcome in mine. And unless you have control of my head actually I do get a say in what I think. I think you have completely misunderstood intangible consequences. You sound a right old pita as does the OP.[/quote]
Oh, believe me, it's not her opinion only.

unmarkedbythat · 25/02/2021 11:49

@Cloudbeeb unions are not just for support with disciplinary measures .

Cloudbeeb · 25/02/2021 12:03

[quote unmarkedbythat]@Cloudbeeb unions are not just for support with disciplinary measures .[/quote]
I know, but honestly contacting them to say my work have asked me to go for a walk at lunchtime is bizarre.

unmarkedbythat · 25/02/2021 12:15

I know, but honestly contacting them to say my work have asked me to go for a walk at lunchtime is bizarre.

Maybe, but contacting them to say my employers have directed all staff to record 1000 steps in their non working time and assigned them to teams in order to compete to win additional leave by recording these steps without any option to decline or any assessment of whether or not this is discriminatory to specific groups and individuals really would not be.

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 25/02/2021 12:33

[quote thewinkingprawn]@AccidentallyOnPurpose in your opinion only 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 but then we all have a right to choose a team that fits together well and someone who resists efforts to join in (at any point in the day) to promote teamwork under current extenuating circumstances would not be welcome in mine. And unless you have control of my head actually I do get a say in what I think. I think you have completely misunderstood intangible consequences. You sound a right old pita as does the OP.[/quote]
I don't think teamwork means what you think it means . I'll just leave it here.

Gurufloof · 25/02/2021 14:51

As a manager they are just trying to promote team work frankly
which is something very hard when everyone is at home and if you were to tell me that you were unable to participate unless for very good reason at some point in the day I’d obviously say fine but I’d roll my eyes in my head and so would many team mates

And i would have rolled my eyes at the directive to do anything in my lunchtime because that's my own time. I would probably say something really stupid as a reason to not do whatever if pressed for one and I would be looking for another job in the meantime. I work just fine as part of a team, and my team are really quite a good group of people. We are also treated as adults and mostly left to our own devices because we are good.
And you would never be my manager because of your attitude.

Abraxan · 25/02/2021 15:14

As a manager they are just trying to promote team work frankly which is something very hard when everyone is at home

So, if so important to them, they should be suggesting people do this in paid work time, not unpaid lunch times.

MuddleMoo · 25/02/2021 15:17

They can suggest team stuff in work hours not put more pressure on people trying to do homeschooling or who are disabled

mathanxiety · 25/02/2021 15:39

It’s all the intangible things that people massively under call. Not being seen as a team player, being passed over, labelled as a pita....if you were to tell me that you were unable to participate unless for very good reason at some point in the day I’d obviously say fine but I’d roll my eyes in my head and so would many team mates

Do you see how pre-existing prejudices in a manager's or co-worker's mind (and don't try to tell me managers are incapable of prejudice) could cloud their assessment of people who can't participate or don't want to participate in ridiculous 'team building' activities in their own unpaid time?

Prejudice against pregnant women and mothers, prejudice/ resentment against women who have recently come back from mat leave, prejudice against people requiring some sort of accommodation in order to work?

@thewinkingprawn

The people who are free and willing to participate in this activity are going to be the people who do not have caring responsibilities and who are able bodied. Can you honestly not see how any judgement of employee attitude based on enthusiastic participation in this is going to be seriously flawed?

Yay for the child free, the people with someone else at home to look after the toddler, the fit and young, those who are not pregnant or breastfeeding! They are team players!

Everyone else, doing their best to fulfill their responsibilities to some other 'team' at home, or those who 'merely' give their all at work but cannot physically participate in physical challenges - Hiss! Boo! Judgement: 'difficult', 'pitas'. Eyeroll.

I would be interested to know the level of specific managerial education of many of the managers who have posted here.

MsMarch · 25/02/2021 15:45

I'm sorry, i have not read the whole thread but I saw this yesterday and didn't get a chance to comment but it's been irritating me ever since....

The 1000 steps is not, necessarily, the problem. It is the expectation that team work and team efforts and team building must always be done in your own time. This was a complete PITA BEFORE Covid and is even worse now. It's absolute and complete bollocks. It assumes that everyone has the same values and desire for work to be core to their lives as the people at the top or in certain industries and it's just not true and it is incredibly frustrating.

MsMarch · 25/02/2021 15:48

The people who are free and willing to participate in this activity are going to be the people who do not have caring responsibilities and who are able bodied. Can you honestly not see how any judgement of employee attitude based on enthusiastic participation in this is going to be seriously flawed?

I understand this, but would take it further. In the context of this, I do not have caring responsibilities and am able bodied. But I would absolutely be livid if I was told what to do outside of work hours. if an employer wants me to feel part of the team, the easiest way to do that is not to try to force me to do things outside of work hours. I had a client recently who made a snide comment (when we were between lockdowns and could actually go out a bit sometimes) about how thought I must obviously be out for dinner as I hadn't replied to her email. The email she sent at 7:45pm. It was like the only reason I could possibly have to not reply was being out for dinner.

mathanxiety · 25/02/2021 15:48

And it is narcissistic AF on the part of the managers who dream this shit up, @MsMarch.

mathanxiety · 25/02/2021 15:50

France has passed laws to deal with the expectation creep regarding work emails outside of work hours.
www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38479439

MsMarch · 25/02/2021 15:56

Also (and yes, I've been thinking about this too much), a key problem with OP's work plan is what is the objective? Is it to get people moving? By treating them like children? If they really wanted to get people moving and thought it was THAT important, they would offer individual incentives and build it into the work day.

Is it team building? Well, if so, this is only going to fail because those who can't/don't want to participate will be seen as outsiders (at best). Plus the team that wins will not be winning a fun challenge that everyone enjoys but will be getting time off that will leave everyone else disgruntled. So basically, this "team building" exercise is likely to in fact lead to a more fractured and divided team.

It's just so bloody short sighted.