Colleague bringing scales to office - weighing others.

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I work in an office with around 20 other people. A colleague has started bringing in scales so that he and others can weigh themselves in front of others.

Everyone stands in a circle around the scales and watches while they take it in turns to weigh themselves.

So far I have managed to avoid being asked to weigh myself in front of the others, perhaps because I am overweight.

Management don't seem bothered and are even joining in with the weighing.

Not really sure why posting, just wanted to hear what others think.

I worked somewhere where they thought it was appropriate to start the daily morning meeting with a minutes plank...

Enjoying life here meaning watching your colleagues weigh themselves? Is it a fetish?

Haha, that’s them telt

'lighten up'. that's what you can call your office's weigh in scheme.

you and all the other definitely not boring people.

Why can't they go somewhere private?!!

I wouldn't find it triggering or anything else, just downright embarrassing for them and nothing something I have any need to see... Can't for the life of me see how it would be 'fun'! Pretty juvenile if anything.

No probably just not a boot camp. I’m sure people can use their breaks how they like. If that means supporting each other with weight los/weigh gain, so be it. People just love a good moan lol

Don't you have work to do? This weighing crap, I'd be annoyed about being interrupted from work.vvInterrupt me for a cute baby / puppy or to offer me a chocolate or to talk work. I didn't go to work to navel gaze.

The most bizarre thing about this is that any other 'weigh in' time of day than first thing in the morning after going to the toilet and standing on the scales in your knickers would really really irk me.

It’s exclusionary. It creates an uncomfortable environment for staff. It’s unprofessional. Any decent HR department would shut it down sharpish.

Have you watched The Office? It's funny coz it's true. I've worked in many sectors at different levels. I've found this type of stuff goes on quite a lot. I won the 'competition' for standing on my head the longest. I recall one of our more introverted colleagues doing 'the worm '. We've had tally boards for mentioning Christmas...just nonscence really but there's people here calling it bizarre, peculiar, outrageous, needs reporting....I find that more shocking than a few people weighing themselves..."Go on Ben, put me down, I'm having a go..."

What a great idea. Have you thought for one second it can be a weight loss and a weight gain club. Some people are under weight and want to gain weight. Some may be over weight and want to gain weight, some may want to gain muscle mass. It’s not all about weight loss. The office I work in is large, and a group of colleagues standing together weighing themselves wouldn’t cause so much b*t Bing from bores (thankful to work in a chilled environment and not just be seen as a number)

Oer weird. Not heard that before.

I don't see how this is a problem if all the participants are willing. It only becomes a problem if people feel pressurised to join in. I'm.overweight and this would not be my action of choice. It would be one party that I would not be clamouring for an invitation for

*want to lose weight

Btching

Completely agree. I understand in some jobs people have to be really serious, but if you have no time for enjoyment what’s the point. I’m so glad I work where I work

@Bamboux
"Why do you think the onus is on the person who's negatively affected to speak out, forcing them to confront an entire group, rather than the onus being on the group, or the manager, to not do things in the workplace, in working hours, that have massive potential to cause distress?"
@CM1897

I agree with this 100%.

There are certain things that you have to stop happening in a workplace to avoid likely ending up with a toxic work environment. Things with an obvious high potential to cause distress to a large swathe of people, like public weigh-ins (a very large number of people in the UK are overweight and foreseeable would be uncomfortable with this), should be stopped by management not left to people who feel distressed by such an obviously potentially problematic it to be left with the choice to either suffer in silence or single themselves out as the person spoiling all the fun by piping up and saying something.

It's management's job to sort this out.

Our work does competitions about doing 10,000steps and Yoga or Zumba

Some do it
Some CBA

I have never seen a gun pointed at my head to Zumba .........

For most people, standing around and weighing yourself is a poor definition of fun and enjoyment.

If people have a problem they can take it to HR. If HR find it inappropriate in that office they can shut it down, it sounds as though they have no problem with it though. Our HR team would probably join in. Like I said, I’m thankful to work where I do, would hate to be somewhere full of bores.

bless.

in my experience chilled out work environments don't usually involve group weigh ins.

and that’s fine for them. For most people I know, they’d enjoy supporting each other, spending time together and seeing how well each other are doing. Not everyone sees everything in a negative light 🤷🏻‍♀️

Lucky you then, you have one less thing to complain about :)

Where the fuck do you all work that this is normal? The 1970s?

Or they could just ignore it and let other people get on with their lives

Sounds a bit weird, can't they find somewhere private to weigh themselves?