Work forcing walks

[CaramelCandle]

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.

[Crankley]

Amazing how all the thick and hard of thinking have swarmed to this thread.

a) some people can't walk ten steps, let alone 1,000

b) as I said before, if the manager really cared for the staff's health, he/she would have suggesting doing it in work time. This is the thin end of the wedge. Are people really going to accept being told what they must do in their own house, in their own time?

Years ago An American friend worked for a company that banned smoking and expected their employees not to smoke in or out of work. One weekend a colleague was driving down a road when she noticed a fellow worker smoking in her own house. She reported her and the woman was sacked. Is that what you want to see in the future.

[Fuckadoodledoooo]

Years ago An American friend worked for a company that banned smoking and expected their employees not to smoke in or out of work. One weekend a colleague was driving down a road when she noticed a fellow worker smoking in her own house. She reported her and the woman was sacked. Is that what you want to see in the future

Fucking hell. That's absolutely disturbing.

[BrightYellowDaffodil]

Amazing how all the thick and hard of thinking have swarmed to this thread.

Absolutely. I expect they're either this manager type themselves, or the sort of people who relish team building exercises.

I worked for a company where, in another team, there was a woman who'd worked there for years, good at her job, trusted etc and she was a very quiet, unassuming sort of person. New manager came in and 'managed out' this woman because she "wasn't a team player". By which she meant that the poor woman hadn't bought into the cult of "We love you, New Manager, you're our best friend!" personality she wanted to see, didn't want to attend events outside of work etc. Poor woman.

[Discofish]

My god, this would infuriate me. I often take a walk on my lunch break when I can as I enjoy getting out of the building and getting some fresh air- this is personal choice- to be told how to spend my lunch break is another matter! In terms of team spirit/being a team player etc what does that actually mean?... Being a decent person who will help a colleague when they need it, playing your part by doing your job well - or taking in part in trivial competitions and being made to feel like a spoil sport if you're not really into it.

[feistyoneyouare]

@AccidentallyOnPurpose

Damn... should've made the sarcasm more evident i guess.

Apologies to anyone getting upset at what they perceive as another twattish ,disablist post.

It wasn't apparent to me, but thanks for clarifying

[Nith]

@mathanxiety, thanks so much for that post about the dangers of obsession with team spirit. I have a similar issue at work currently and you've really encapsulated what is going on brilliantly. I may have to quote you!

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

I worked for a company where, in another team, there was a woman who'd worked there for years, good at her job, trusted etc and she was a very quiet, unassuming sort of person. New manager came in and 'managed out' this woman because she "wasn't a team player". By which she meant that the poor woman hadn't bought into the cult of "We love you, New Manager, you're our best friend!" personality she wanted to see, didn't want to attend events outside of work etc. Poor woman.

I worry about this happening to me. There will soon be a change of management at work and while I have been doing my job for years I don't tend to socialise outside of work. As far as I'm concerned it's how I do my job that matters, not whether I want to have 'fun'.

[Nith]

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

I don't understand that, @thewinkingprawn? Why do we all have that right? What happens when one person's choice in terms of team members conflicts with another's, or indeed the choice of the team members themselves.

When you're condemning people for resisting joining in, have you listened to their reasons? If they can't due to other work pressures, or their personal circumstances, are they condemned for life? And when you say "at any point in the day" does that include their free time? If so, why?

[Abraxan]

@AccidentallyOnPurpose

A lot of people don't seem to understand what team spirit is.

Does team spirit mean discriminating against people with disabilities and/or caring duties?

[Abraxan]

[quote AccidentallyOnPurpose]@Dontbeme maybe you should read my other comments on this thread for context.


Yes , my comment was full of disdain and snark... for the people that seem to think team spirit means put up,shut up and do what you're told when you're told .[/quote]
Apologies - just realised you weren't suggesting this, but was actually supporting the OP.

[Cheeserton]

Time to buy a machine that rocks your phone up and down while you relax. This isn't a new problem, they surely exist.

[Velociraptor1]

Bjjgirl
"1000 steps is nothing, your work are trying to support your physical and mental healt building team spirit, I would love this to come in to force widely. Shame you see it as a negative"

Wow... what else would you love your employer to enforce on your own time?
Enforced reading a book a week/baking with photos to upload/dancing/singing with video proof?
What about on a Saturday morning instead of each lunchtime... is that better?
Maybe they could call to each house on Saturday morning to ensure you are taking part.
Go for your walk if you want to, but don't force anyone else to, why do you think that's ok? Why are you so happy to give your employer some of your free, (and unpaid) time? They employ you - they don't own you.

[Lunde]

@Floatyboat

Pathetic comments on this thread makes me feel justified in valuing evidence of team spirit through university sports team / drinking society membership on a CV when recruiting. What a bunch of bores you all are!

@Floatyboat

Pathetic also not to understand what the concept of a disability is! If you had read OP's posts you would find out she has one. I really hope you read better and do not discriminate in this way when recruiting!

I participated in many sports when younger. I was even nationally ranked 3rd in the UK at one very physical sport. But a major accident while hiking in the 1990s plus a totally life changing accident 10 years ago means that I cannot always manage 1,000 steps these days.

[poppycat10]

@Floatyboat

Pathetic comments on this thread makes me feel justified in valuing evidence of team spirit through university sports team / drinking society membership on a CV when recruiting. What a bunch of bores you all are!

There's a massive difference between playing a team sport at university or otherwise and being made to do pointless activities which require certain expensive technology that you may not even possess.

It really is amazing that some managers think they have the right to dictate their underlings' social lives, whether this or a Christmas party or the dreaded Zoom work social.

[poppycat10]

By the way OP my mum sent me a birthday card the other year which had a cartoon of a washing machine on it. Two women are chatting while one of them has attached to the machine when it's on its spin cycle to get thousands of steps.

Might be worth a try :)

[TurquoiseDragon]

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

A decent manager at work can understand that teamwork can be expressed by how people actually work together. Teamwork is about supporting each other to get the work completed, and is nothing to do with going out for after work drinks or being expected to do stuff in their own time, like walking, that has bugger all to do with actual work.

[turquoisewaters]

YANBU OP

[turquoisewaters]

I worked for a company where, in another team, there was a woman who'd worked there for years, good at her job, trusted etc and she was a very quiet, unassuming sort of person. New manager came in and 'managed out' this woman because she "wasn't a team player

This is horrific and shouldn't be happening

[IEat]

Id protest and sit outside eating a chocolate bar with a sign that says fuck off

[celiamary]

It would be more useful I think to walk up and down a flight of stairs every hour. Providing you are in 'normal' health.

[KatherineJaneway]

@avisonz

The month is well over by now. The OP posted in February!