Work away day- i dont want to go!

[Porridgepudding]

Hi, I have a team building away day later this month. At the last team meeting it was decided it would be at a physical activity day ( think assault course / ninja warrior type thing) I wasnt in the meeting as I was away at another meeting or I could have objected. Originally it was going to be bowling and food after.
Added to this we have to pay for the day (£50) I really dont want to go, but I'm unsure how this will be perceived. I have been with the organisation almost 2 years. Last year it was a more typical team building type day- group activities, a talk, buffet spread.
What should I do?

How can they make you pay for a team building day? Surely it's optional in that case?

Refusing to go on a team building day, or making a lame excuse to not go (eg suspiciously getting ill at the last minute) will be perceived very poorly. Including by all your colleagues who also aren’t keen but are sucking it up. Much better to go, be a good sport, and if it’s something you don’t want to do or aren’t physically up to, make a friendly joke and say something like “Rock climbing isn’t for me, I’ll be the official photographer from down here” or “I’m afraid my football days are long behind me, I’ll be the cheer squad” or whatever. Friendly, engaged in another way, but firmly polite.

That said, I’ve never heard of anyone having to pay out of their own pocket to go on one of these things. That’s pretty outrageous.

Paying to go? Sod that.

I would mention a recent sports injury, can’t participate but happy to take photos etc on the day (not paying to attend either!).

Having to pay is really not on. If it were free, I'd go to show willing but with a nice bandage round a wrist to get out of the madness, which also is quite exclusionary to colleagues with disabilities. Otherwise it'd be annual leave for me.

Honestly? In a way, I’d advise going. What I would say though is paying 50 quid is mental. Tell your company you can not afford it. Leave the decision on what happens next to them.

You need to go. It's poor show not to and a great way to p*ss off your colleagues. That said, making you pay is way out of order. Please question this!

Errr no - given that she has to pay to attend it is clearly NOT a work thing, whatever they call it. So tell them you are unable to go but happy for everyone to forward their phones while you work during their day off.

Paying to attend - no way.

Tell them you can’t afford it. It’s peculiar to expect employees to pay for work activities.

Why on earth would you need to pay it out of your own pocket?

I agree with the other posters: the away day itself you should go. The choice of activity is poor, but it's only a small part of the day usually, 60-90 min, and I'm sure they have accommodation for those who aren't really sporty.

But paying for it?!!! And 50 quid!! No way!

Book the day off.

Fucking PAYING for a WORK event.

Work should be paying YOU.

I would be upfront and say you are coming but you won't join in the activity. Fuck that.

At 25, I would have felt compelled to join.

At 35, I have zero qualms about being upfront about crap like this. Life's too short.

I'd be asking if the £50 is claimable via expenses? I've NEVER heard of staff needing pay for the own away day- ridiculous! I thought companies could claim part of this as a tax deduction?

IF free, and I could claim TOIL for anytime outside my normal working day, I'd consider going. However, I have arthritic knees and can't run, squat and the thought of a ninja assault course has brought me out in a sweat just thinking about it. 😬

Can you go and just be a supporter? You surely then won’t need to pay the activity fee.

Absolutely nothing wrong is saying you are not up for the physical activity but want to come and support the team.

Never heard of an employer not paying for an away day before. That’s why most stick to low cost indoor group activities and buffet agendas in a hotel or some such. If it were me I’d just say the £50 is too much for your budget right know if you really don’t want to go. Or as others said, ask if can go fee free to cheer on/help run the event. But inform of your preferences asap as otherwise leaving it to the last second does look bad.

If it’s a work thing, my employers are paying me to do my job. This is why it’s called work. Having to pay to do something mandated by your employers is definitely not work.

I’m genuinely amazed this has been allowed to happen.

Firstly, it is very poor form in the current financial climate to expect employees to pay £50 to attend work.

Secondly, how exclusionary to make it a physical activity. Does Sam want to disclose his hidden disability to the team? Does Sarah wish to share that she is premenstrual and thus suffering bad stomach cramps? Does Jim wish you share his chronic illness?

I would raise concerns if you feel safe to do so.

"Thanks for the invite but it's not my cup of tea, hope you all have fun! Happy to man the phones while you're all off enjoying yourselves though!"

Do not use annual leave to book the day off, that would still be paying for the event.

That would be a no from me.
My company do these away days sometimes but we never pay for ourselves, quite the opposite, they are usually laid on, lunch/ dinner and sometimes an overnight stay. Last year, some of us went to the hotel spa for the afternoon instead of the assault courses some of them did...
And if you can't make it, you can't. I missed one because I was on hols already, another because it was a family wedding on the same day... (I've worked there a long time)
There are many excuses you could make, if that's what's needed.

Either it's optional and you pay, or it's non-optional and they pay.

They can't make you pay for something they're requiring you to do.

We get charged for these things too. The joy of working at a non-profit.

I’ve got a disability that makes participation in most of these events difficult if not impossible. They never seem to plan puzzle day or board game day. I would rock those. I don’t care if it makes me look bad to not attend. If anyone gives me flack about it, I will point out the problematic and discriminatory planning.

I would be doing some digging as to the legality of having to pay for a compulsory work event. I’d definitely be saying i can’t afford it.