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.

@toocold54

I don’t think anyone should be forced to do it but I do think it is a really good idea they’ve come up with.

I think the reward should be an individual thing though not a group reward as it’s not fair on the people who can’t take part fully.

And what about those who can’t take part and therefore cannot win the prize of more leave?

It's so they can tick the well-being box.
I keep pointing out to my place that it only works if they provide the time to do it, by scrapping something else.
I'd be furious and pointed out how a similar plan was a bad idea.
I suggested walk-and-talk meetings instead to multi task.
Disclaimer - I'm not exercise shy and walk 4km+ per day. I want time to improve my wellbeing, not work taking up more time!

I love walking and do walking every day, DH is the same. None of us would participate in this. I have enough of government telling me how to eat/sleep/spend my time. Also as our DD has additional needs there are tonnes of agencies involved from her birth telling us what to do so I double hate this stuff.
Can you complain to HR? They could do friendly competition for fun but half day off as incentive is not fair.

It would be unreasonable if it wasn't 1000 steps, that'll take you 5 minutes.

I was doing some work at a company that did this - they bought everyone a pedometer and forced them to compete to have the most steps. Some people fastened theirs to their dogs or children so they looked like they were doing loads of activity

Noone seemed to like it very much as they considered it intrusive. I think the idea comes from a good place but it is rather tone-deaf, especially for people with disabilities (especially hidden ones or if people want to keep their medical issues private).

@actanonverba22

Wow can’t believe the vitriol this has received for encouraging a little bit of activity and promoting team spirit....makes me despair

What - people not complying with their employers discrimination makes you despair.... okaaaayyyyy

@Candyfloss99

It would be unreasonable if it wasn't 1000 steps, that'll take you 5 minutes.

How do you know how long it would take?

It’s not ‘team spirit’ either! So everyone is required to do this and only one team will get a reward. How is that team spirit?

If they want to reward their workers they can give them all a half day of holiday, or a bonus for the quarter. Not force them to participate in stupid ‘drives’ like this.

I go for a walk with DH most days. I have absolutely nothing against walking. But I do not agree with bosses dictating to their employees outside of work. They can fuck off if they think they get to dictate what I do with my OWN TIME in my OWN HOUSE.

@Tubs11

So your company has gone to the effort of thinking up ideas to keep the team engaged while working from home with half a days leave to win and you're p!ssed off about this? No offense but I'd need pained to work with you

Team building as such should take place during work hours.

If you’ve got children, can you imagine having to get them ready for this walk , especially if it’s raining, it would eat into your lunch break by much more then the ten minutes the actual walk would take .

*then - than

This reminds me of one place where the Head (an ex PE teacher) had the idea of making all staff run a mile at 7am. No excuses, apparently. Everybody could run a mile.

I asked when I would get my voucher towards buying adequate running shoes and orthotics, as introducing this new compulsory activity meant I had to be provided with specialist footwear to avoid injury. Oh, and when were they sending me back to Occy Health, as this was such a significant change to the demands of the job, it meant my prior clearance needed to be reviewed. The reply was, well, we all spend too much time in our cars and don't walk anywhere. I don't have a car as a result of my disability and walked to work.

I could watch them going up and down the back field by themselves in the pissing rain whilst I drank a coffee in my office. They lasted four days before it fizzled out.

@Candyfloss99

It would be unreasonable if it wasn't 1000 steps, that'll take you 5 minutes.

It would be unreasonable if it were 10 steps. Or 1 step. How is a wheelchair user supposed to step?

It would be unreasonable if it wasn't 1000 steps, that'll take you 5 minutes.

No it would take YOU a non-disabled person five minutes.

They can't enforce this if you don't get paid for your lunchbreak. That time is your time. What about people with children who need feeding? Someone needs to put them straight.

[quote hobbyiscodefordogging]**@DynamoKev* and @JustLyra*
No, it's not enforcing and demanding. They cannot physically force anyone to go for a walk at lunch time. They're relying on peer pressure, but they're not forcing or demanding, there's a difference. [/quote]
They are demanding it. They may not be able to enforce it, but they’re demanding it rather than encouraging it.

That would be a no from me.

I'd flatly tell them not to include me in a group as I will not be taking part. My lunch hour is mine to do as I please.

@Candyfloss99

It would be unreasonable if it wasn't 1000 steps, that'll take you 5 minutes.

It would still be unreasonable even if it was 10 steps.

my work of 26 people do a step challenge every now and then. we take the month, and aim for 10,000 steps a day as a minimum.

the person with the most steps gets a half day in the month following the step challenge. its not mandatory to join in but most people do. we signed up to "map my walk" on which we can create a group challenge and log steps this way.

work are also big fitness and mental health "pushers" so we are encouraged to join a gym and use it - they will pay 50% of the fee. encouraged to go outside in our lunch breaks (when in the office) for walks etc.

its not forced, but most people do it. while actually physically going into the office i can average around 15,000 steps a day working from home has slowed this as there's no walk from nursery to the office and back again. but im making sure i get outside at lunchtime for at least 45 minutes. still averaging around 9/10k steps a day.

@actanonverba22

Wow can’t believe the vitriol this has received for encouraging a little bit of activity and promoting team spirit....makes me despair

Which bit of "they don't get paid for their lunchbreak don't you get?" Why should OP do this in her own time?

Does it have to be lunchbreak? Some people will clock up 1000 steps over the day, rather than 1000 at lunch.

I'd love it but appreciate others won't.

In my office we let people flex their hours so long as they do 5 in core.

I started at 7.30 and took an hour out at 9 to work on my novel, and an hour at lunch to do my walk.

We've also nabbed my husband's policy that internal calls should be away from your screen if possible - e.g. Get a screen break, you don't have to be on teams all the time for every chat.

I did a call walking around the park yesterday.

I think it’s a good idea for those who want to do it.

1000 steps is bugger all. I’ve done 4000 today and I’ve not left the house.

I’d be happy if it was an across the day thing rather than having to be in your lunch hour when you are eating lunch.

@Candyfloss99

It would be unreasonable if it wasn't 1000 steps, that'll take you 5 minutes.

It might take you 5 minutes, but it would take me longer than that. Not to mention the pain it might cause

Why is it never enforced doughnut eating? 🤔