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.

Personally I'd just duck out of it. So what if the rest of the team doesn't get your steps, but then I don't worry about peer pressure. The very fact I was being forced would make me say no and I'd say so.

Meh! I'd tell them bollocks.

And your thread title is wrong. They're not forcing you so try to stop thinking like that.

Do you have a cat? Duct tape your phone to the cat and get the laser pointer out.

They're testing how good you are at corporate lying.

It's so they can tick the well-being box

Letting their staff have an hour of uninterrupted peace during their lunch break would be better for their employees' well-being IMO.

@Candyfloss99

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

It's irrelevant how long it would take.

People can do whatever they want during their unpaid breaks. They can have a nap, cook lunch, go to the doctors or dentist, read a book, hang upside down from a tree or, yes, go for a walk.

But it's not their employers job to dictate anything that happens outside of paid hours.

@PurpleCrocuses

Are people really so lazy that they won’t walk for 10 minutes?

Calling disabled people "lazy" is unforgiveable. Or did you simply forget that disabled people exist?

Ableism is a serious problem in society. The OP already explained that disabled people are NOT allowed an exemption from this challenge but have been put on teams anyway.

How do you think the able-bodied members of teams who lose simply due to having a disabled team-mate will feel towards the person who made them lose?

As a disabled person, I've had to spend my life fighting the misconception that having a disabled person on your team is a burden and something that brings the entire team down. Shit like this only contributes to anti-disabled bias and division. There's a very real chance that disabled employees will experience hostility or be made to feel unwelcome as a result of being the reason their team loses. There are comments upthread about people being accused of "not being a team player" or "making others feel uncomfortable" simply for existing as disabled people. That kind of attitude is deeply ingrained. Ditto the idea that anyone can simply do physical activities if they force themselves to.

All the people saying "it's just a 10-minute walk don't be lazy it's no big deal" need to seriously check their able-bodied privilege.

Hard relate to all of this. It actually made me a little emotional to read. All of it is so true. And so difficult.

Thank you for writing this post.

@ememem84
What about those with any disabilities whose health, mental or physical, the company may be damaging? Or those with other responsibilities who may get little time to spend on themselves? How can they ever be top in the step challenge?

You should be a lot more angry about this than you seem to be.

Call your team members and tell them flat out you are not participating.
Try to set up some sort of organised resistance.

Tell your manager you are not doing it and where they can shove their idea

The level of vitriol this is receiving is disproportionate. Granted they should make the task equitable for all however. If you’re not willing to partake in an activity to make your work life more enjoyable then of course that’s your choice.

Also sorry but what on Earth is wrong with a bit of competition?! Everyone getting a medal doesn’t exactly teach resilience...

@actanonverba22

The level of vitriol this is receiving is disproportionate. Granted they should make the task equitable for all however. If you’re not willing to partake in an activity to make your work life more enjoyable then of course that’s your choice.

Also sorry but what on Earth is wrong with a bit of competition?! Everyone getting a medal doesn’t exactly teach resilience...

You're totally missing the point.

@ememem84

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.

What do they offer for disabled staff members to give them the chance of the extra half day off?

@StanfordPines

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.

1000 steps is not bugger all for lots of people.

I can’t believe the amount of outraged posters!

It’s a non-compulsory challenge to try to encourage staff who may be feeling isolated from their colleagues to get a tiny bit of activity into their day. You don’t HAVE to do it. Those who do are in with a chance of a half day bonus holiday. If you don’t take part you don’t lose anything, you just don’t gain anything.

Honestly some of the responses on here make me glad I don’t manage staff any more

so you have to give up 30 one hour lunch breaks to get a half day or have I misunderstood? What a crock! I wouldn't do it. I want to eat and relax on my lunchbreak.

All the people saying "it's just a 10-minute walk don't be lazy it's no big deal" need to seriously check their able-bodied privilege.

YYY to this.

Ditto all the people with children, all the people who use their lunch time to do house work, get dinner together for later.
This is a stupid idea very likely proposed by some individual with no domestic responsibilities and an unhealthy taste for control.

Firstly are they providing a work phone for this purpose? Secondly will this be in work time?

Nope. Oh well don’t have to do anything then

Are you reading a different OP to the rest of us?

The level of vitriol this is receiving is disproportionate. Granted they should make the task equitable for all however. If you’re not willing to partake in an activity to make your work life more enjoyable then of course that’s your choice.

How is it disproportionate? When they don't make the task equitable or leave employees the choice to participate?

@GettingAwayWithIt

I can’t believe the amount of outraged posters!

It’s a non-compulsory challenge to try to encourage staff who may be feeling isolated from their colleagues to get a tiny bit of activity into their day. You don’t HAVE to do it. Those who do are in with a chance of a half day bonus holiday. If you don’t take part you don’t lose anything, you just don’t gain anything.

Honestly some of the responses on here make me glad I don’t manage staff any more

And clearly, you would have been an incompetent manager if you cannot see the issue with this.

I use my lunch break to do washing, set the kids off on the next few pieces of homeschooling and try and get the dinner prep done - peeling veg/potatoes etc.

It would be lovely if we could all just wander out into the sunshine - I assume someone's going to come and mind my very young children for me? and stop being so "lazy" but I wouldn't let an employer dictate how I spend my lunch break and I have too much to do at home to spend it walking around outside.

I recently refused to answer some questions on my employers risk assessment as I felt they were too personal - asking about sleep patterns, eating habits and exercise routines. There is a risk that we allow employers too much leeway into our personal lives. I love that some really do care about their employees health and well being but Im not convinced they always realise how it comes across

...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..

Are heavily pregnant women or women with spd penalised?

Your employer is still responsible for ensuring the health and wellbeing of their employees wfh in the same way they are employees in the office. I imagine this is just one of the tickbox ways of meeting those obligations to ensure that employees are getting an adequate break away from the screen/phone etc like they would in the office - it's very easy for the line to become blurred when your sat at home all day.

@GettingAwayWithIt agreed!

@sunflowersandbuttercups nope...point received and fully understood. You missed the point about being an equitable challenge. This thread is fine example of being outraged for the sake of it

It’s a non-compulsory challenge

If that was true, fine.

It isn't though. There doesn't appear to be an opt out.