To lie and not travel to a work meeting?

[mamabeeboo]

At the company for just over 2 years and dates/location have been announced for the annual work meeting. It's a lot of meetings, presentations, the CEO will be there (woop-de-dah!). It's somewhat relevant to my role, but wouldn't make a difference if I went/didn't go. I know this because when it was on last year, due to budget restraints, some people were not invited (like my team) and this didn't impact anything at all, targets were met and all went well.

I am invited this year and I don't want to go. I don't want the hassle of waking early to take a plane for work, participate in the fake niceties, spend all day trying not to dose off during presentations, have crappy buffet sandwiches daily, then networking dinners, enough to be exhausted to collapse into your hotel room ready to do it all again tomorrow, it's a 3 day long conference but 4 days total including travel time.

Work are arranging the travel that I am there just for the meetings and not a second to spare to see the city or do anything I want to do.

Manager has said it's a great opportunity to meet the wider team (yawn) and the CEO (yippee) and learn more about our products.

No it's not compulsory but "It would be nice" if I could attend.

It's also clearly not an important part of my job, because if it was, I'd have been invited last year.

I have blamed childcare and no one to look after DC. Which is a lie because DH can do it. Manager has expressed disappointment and has been a little off with me (or maybe it's just me overthinking) and has asked maybe DH can take time off work, maybe grandparents can help? I've said no and no.

AIBU?

i can imagine your manager spent a fair amount of time and effort advocating for the team to be invited (and budget to be made available) this year and get some exposure especially in the current market. Imagine how it’d all look if there are no shows and how the team is perceived (and the job you do). If you go worst case is what you describe; best case- you find your next role/promotion.

Also if we go into recession and there are job cuts done be surprised if they keep the staff who appear more committed.

You are not in it, so how would you know? 😂You are talking about a world you have never experienced.

Your so-called corporate slavery is what gives me flexible days, very flexible hours, non-capped pay rises and career progression. I understand it's not for you, but don't feel too sorry for all of us, some of us are doing quite well out of it.

My pension is not looking too bad either, thanks 😉

You prefer safe little steps and pottering around your little job, good for you. If I have to work, I might as well get something out of it, but that's just me.

You know the main difference? It's freedom. Never feeling like you are stuck in a place, never feeling like you have to be stuck with a boss you hate, never having to settle for a salary you are unhappy with. You don't like it, you move on. It's a fantastic feeling, never trapped or stuck anywhere.

Have you considered asking if people are interested in the training before organising it. I keep being sent to irrelevant and tedious training courses. I feedback they are not suitable and nothing changes.

Total waste of company money and my time.

Amen to that

Your boss repeatedly sends you on training that isn’t relevant to your job?

we do have some tedious mandatory training that we all have to do but we suck it up and do it.

If my boss repeatedly sent me on training that I got nothing out of I would be having a very serious conversation with him about his professional abilities.

@thedogatethecattreats My word, you are on the warpath! Tone it down and take a lemsip, dear.

I worked in the financial sector for almost 10 years before making a career switch to my present role. The latter is much less pressurised, more pleasant and rewarding, and suits me to the ground.

It is indeed amusing to see your presumption that I know nothing of the corporate world, when I began and accelerated my career in it for almost a decade. 😅

Childcare as an excuse ... Well, it's one of the very small perks of motherhood isn't it? I'd be surprised if no one here has used their child as an excuse at least once for something, even if it's leaving a dinner early or not being able to make something because DC are 'sick'

Seriously? Using childcare as an excuse is definitely not one of the parks of motherhood. It is a legitimate reason, along with child illness, often enough for most people not to be in a position to use it additionally as an excuse!

I would take my brilliant pension, 35 hour week, guaranteed pay rises and career progression

we are talking about being the sole employee of a parish council here @ElsaLion ?

Indeed @Othermentions, a very large PC for which I oversee the community and financial decisions that affect an area in which almost 9000 people reside. Or is your second post about my current job meant to infer some patronising amusement? Perhaps thinking I worked for a community like Dibley?

It's great, I can work from home whenever I want (so childcare expense and arrangements are not an issue), my pay grade increases annually with my scale rolling onto the next scale up when I hit the 'ceiling', my job security is without question and I don't have to worry about office politics/stressful team dynamics. My opinions are valued, and improve circumstances for others. What is there not to enjoy?

'The person I quoted, who said they were astonished there was anyone who wanted to do anything but sit in a little box. Perhaps you should look at your reading skills, and address the rudeness too.'

That still isn't thinking no one should want to. Read it again, if you can, and have a think about the desperate, hysterical tone of your first post.

And you’re paid £27,000 a year? You need to do some negotiating

@Othermentions When I was working part-time as a job share, yes. My word, you are honestly spending your Friday evening stalking my past posts on other threads?

Since taking on the role full-time, my salary has since almost doubled. A good compromise, for being able to WFH whenever I choose, complete job satisfaction and security, and paying very little in childcare costs, I think! Though it would seem you can't understand job satisfaction beyond a pay check, a very sad way to lead life, I imagine.

Who knew being the sole employee of a parish council was so financially rewarding!

@Othermentions Who knew being a corporate slave, that once sacked/replaced will be inevitably forgotten about, could be so fulfilling!

Still, at least you can rely on your rewarding hobby of stalking the posts of complete strangers on the internet!

Last week you were part time, so I didn’t realise you’d gone full time in the last few days

always interesting when someone is waxing lyrical about something they do and pouring scorn on what someone else does and sure enough

You great career progression is well being the only employee of a parish council and your great pay turns out to be £27k

Each to their own

@Othermentions Was I? And how do you know I wasn't referring to my past arrangement? Still, I bow to your superior knowledge, continue to fine tune those internet stalking skills!

'Pouring scorn' on an environment I spent the first decade of my career in. I honestly don't know what fun you get in patronising others, life must be very underwhelming for you if you are spending a Friday evening stalking a complete stranger's internet posts.

ElsaLion · 10/02/2025 12:49

I have two (soon to be three) children, whose ages will be 3.5, 2 and a newborn. I currently work 28 hours a week, entirely remotely.

Seems pretty clear to me 😉

Goodness you’re riled up!

@Othermentions Because people's job arrangements don't change over the course of two-three weeks?

Shall I also make it clear to you that I will be going on maternity leave in a few weeks, as you will see if you stalk my posts on the pregnancy board! 😉

But it's great knowing that since my job share retired, my salary has effectively almost doubled, and I can relax knowing that in nine months time I will have a secure job to return to, which I can do fully remotely and flexibly. And all in time for my DS to start school, so one set of nursery fees dropped, as his grandparents have offered to fund his private education! Great for some 😊

YABU

but mainly because you blamed your kids and said no childcare (promoting misogynistic views of women in general)

What you should have done is have the brains to come up with something that wasn't the fault of the kids.

Shane they couldn’t have helped out with the cost that meant you’ve had to wfh while also having your child at home because said GP wasn’t able to have them any longer once a week

@Othermentions Oh dear, you are obsessed! Bitter about one's own life, perhaps? But no, wrong again! 😅

His other GP, my father, who lives three hours a way with my step-mother, and who have both kindly agreed to fund my son's private schooling. That's not to mention the trust fund they have set up for all 3 DC, which they are due to receive when they turn 18. If you do some more stalking, you'll be able to dig into our financial arrangements too!