To dread this company charity day?

I think it's hilarious! 🤣 You can't 'make' your employees walk 45k.

I just wouldn't do it 🤷🏽‍♀️

I did something similar with work (through choice) and it was HARD! I was quite fit at the time, had run a few half marathons but it absolutely destroyed my feet and literally look all day long about 12 hours.

Seems like a very long way to me. Walking a long distance can be more difficult than running. A relay would be fine. Or even half the distance, although I think you'd need some training, going for a long walk each weekend for example. I did a half marathon walk last year and it was fine although I ended up with a couple of nasty blisters. It was quite enough though - and it was also mainly off-road so a bit easier on the feet than hard surfaces in a city.

And yes it's another of those instances where I think who got round a table and thought this would be a good idea?

Also if it was the wrong time of the month I wouldn't want to be out and about without easy access to a loo!

Of course it’s not compulsory 😄 that means ‘if you refuse to do the thing we can do x, y, or z’ they legally can’t do anything to punish non attendees, and can’t make you go. No need to give it a seconds thought.

I walk a lot and regularly do a half marathon distance in a decent time. I can feel that in my hips and consider it the practical limit of my discomfort. A friend who also walks a lot did the Moonwalk last year (walking marathon) and said it took a month for the swelling in her knees to go down. And she had trained for it.

You can't make other people do this. It's not reasonable. Is the company prepared for the sick days which might come after? Surely this has been suggested either by some fitness freak, or by someone with no idea what toll walking 45km in one go will take on the average human body?

Absolutely no way!! And I love a good walk, but 28 miles! This is insanity!

Also buying kit and expected to cough up £300. I’d love to know which management genius thought this was a good idea.

I’d be opting out on both physical and financial grounds.

That's insane (and I say that as an able-bodied, outdoorsy person who does do this sort of thing for fun).

There is no way this can be made obligatory, surely? It must violate so many accessibility laws or terms under the DDA at the very least.

You could of course pretend to be a Health and Safety zealot. Ask about risk assessments, first aiders, a written guarantee that any absence from work resulting from this will be considered an industrial injury so full pay, ask that you can bring a dog as an emotional support animal, what consideration has been made for any religious or cultural festival (Yom Kippur is near one day, the other is the day before November 5th), and no doubt a few others.

Give the impression that a failure to answer all these will mean a referral to the Health and Safety Executive and the EHRC.

What are the 30 pieces of kit that are needed??

That lit list is ridiculous. My ds has just climbed Kilimanjaro and the kit list wasn’t much longer !

are you sure this is for real OP , I cannot believe an employer expecting this

That would elicit a very emphatic and unapologetic two word respond from me 🤷‍♀️ 'Fuck' and 'off' 👍

I would, if taken to task on my response, point them in the direction of the disability discrimination act.

Wankers!

Totally unreasonable:

a) the company should be providing the sponsorship, can’t force anyone to fundraise

b) not everyone can manage to walk that far without training. I mean I could, as I am superfit but I still don’t think fair to make it compulsory.

If my company did it they’d a) make it optional and b) match the fundraising. I did a half marathon and they agreed to pay the entry fee AND match the fundraising up to half of what was needed AND it was optional AND they paid for lunch in the corporate entertaining tent. All in all a great day. Only about 50 out of 1000 did it.

My workplace are the same!! Corporate walk yesterday in blistering heat was 12 miles and cyclists did 100km. Nearly 10k raised.

I simply said it is too far and I won’t be doing it. They mentioned pub stop offs and doing part of it but was still 90 minutes for me to drive too so I said maybe next time. People said it’s a shame I wouldn’t be going but equally understood. It was voluntary so zero pressure.

Yours sounds far more extreme!

Link was posted above. This is what it says, for walking through London, not the North Pole. There won't be many loose, wet rocks in the Royal Parks.

RUCKSACKS AND BAGS Day sack 30-40L Waterproof liner (a black bin bag is excellent) FOOTWEAR Walking boots with ankle protection and excellent deep tread for grip Hiking socks CLOTHING Waterproof and breathable jacket (Gore-Tex or similar recommended) Waterproof overtrousers Windproof softshell or fleece jacket Lightweight fleece top Wicking t-shirt Trekking trousers (not jeans) Underwear light and loose Warm hat Sun hat Gloves (preferably waterproof) Change of clothes for after the challenge Hiking shorts TREKKING EQUIPMENT Water bottles/bladder (min. 2 Litres) High energy snacks (tracker bars, dried fruit, chocolate, nuts etc) Dry-bags (or plastic bags) for keeping clothes and documents dry LED Head torch plus spare batteries (we attempt to always finish before dark but sometimes this isn’t possible and you should be prepared) Sunglasses Walking poles Camera SMALL FIRST AID KIT Pain killers Plasters Zinc oxide tape Compeed blister pads Antiseptic wipes Rehydration sachets Your own medication Knee supporters Aftersun Sun protection (min. factor 30) Dextrose tablets for extra energy DOCUMENTS Final Details document (available in your Account Area one month before the challenge) Emergency Contact numbers Cash (Debit and credit cards aren’t always accepted at small rural shops) Debit/Credit card Travel insurance KEY * Indicates Optional UK CHALLENGE If you do not own some of this equipment and do not wish to spend a lot of money on buying equipment then we would highly recommend hiring equipment from our partners at Outdoorhire. They can hire really good quality outdoor equipment for weekends and often hiring a high quality piece of equipment is better than purchasing a cheap version. MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR KIT PACKING Make sure that you are able to carry all the essential equipment for the trek in your rucksack. Even if the weather forecast is favourable then please make sure that you always carry enough warm layers and your waterproof jacket and trousers. Your day sack should have a thick waist strap for maximum comfort. Other things to consider are back ventilation, hydration compatibility and gear loops for stowing walking poles. Waterproof liners or bags are essential for keeping valuables and clothes dry within your pack. CORRECT SHOES We would highly recommend wearing walking boots for all of our UK challenges as the additional ankle support can prove invaluable for preventing injury and also prevent water and other objects entering your footwear. Increasingly people are choosing to complete challenges wearing walking shoes, as opposed to boots. These ‘Trail Shoes’ have the advantage of being lighter and more comfortable but do not afford the same protection as boots. If you are considering wearing trail shoes then please make sure that they have an excellent level of grip, with deep tread on the soles. For this reason normal sports trainers are not appropriate for completing our UK challenges. The lack of grip on trainers can prove to be extremely dangerous on loose, wet rocks. Our leaders will not allow you to take part in the challenge if you only bring trainers. CLOTHES The weather in the UK can fluctuate enormously during your challenge . Lots of light layers are key, as well as a good quality waterproof jacket. A hat and gloves are also vital items of clothing for UK challenges. If possible, then try to bring two hats and two pairs of gloves as these items are often the most exposed to the elements. Make sure that you wear and test your kit before arrival, particularly your hiking boots. HYDRATION Staying hydrated during your challenge is vital. There are various ways to get the right fluids into your body, with many people using water bladders or bottles. On all of UK challenges you should be prepared to carry with you all of the water you require for the whole day as you should not expect to be able to refill your water bottle. We would recommend that you carry at least 2L of water and that you make sure that you are fully hydrated in the morning before beginning your challenge. WALKING POLES Walking poles are not essential kit. However, we receive many questions about using them. Anyone considering using poles on the challenge should make sure that they have experimented with using them during their training. For anyone who struggles with knee, or any joint, problems then walking poles can help significantly reduce the amount of strain being placed on your joints, particularly on any descents. They are also useful for helping with ascending up hill and many people find that they spread the load on your body more evenly during a long day of trekking. HEALTH Make sure you take a first-aid kit with you, as the group medical kit is designed for emergencies. Compeed blister plasters cannot be recommended highly enough, but you are required to carry your own as your leaders will not be able to supply them to everyone. Zinc Oxide tape is a handy addition, as it is often a lifesaver for blisters. Tape up your feet before trekking and this will reduce the chance of you developing hotspots. In addition, when applying your sunscreen, make sure that you cover the backs of your hands as well as your face and neck. Although you may feel cold, the sun will be stronger on the mountain. Don’t forget to take an SPF stick for your lips as well.

That's the point, really!
No one can make you do it, just don't if you don't want to/can't.
There are a lot of stages between refusing and doing the whole thing, where do you want to be on that? You could do the snack and stroll for a short time as suggested by previous posters, you could have a small injury that sadly prevents you from joining in, or you could get stroppy and start demanding to see risk assessments and querying reimbursement for expenses etc. Don't take leave though, that is a waste if there isn't anything you particularly want to do with an odd day off.
Personally I think I'd just say nothing, do nothing, and on the day take myself off for a stroll somewhere.

I absolutely would give this a bash. After all it's compulsory.

A mile or two in I'd definitely injure myself and need a few weeks off work, on full pay, to recover though.

That should teach em if a few of you do it. Utterly awful idea.

Absolutely bonkers and they can’t make you do it. Hilarious really that some lunatic thought this would be a good idea? 🤣

And yeah that kit list must have been a copy/paste from another hike somewhere because I’m no Londoner but still don’t think you’ll be in desperate need of cash to pay for anything at a “small rural shop” in the middle of London 🙄

I did the Moonwalk (26 miles) some time ago with a mate and it was great, but we trained for months beforehand. We had an acquaintance doing it who was a marathon runner and said, "It's just a walk, I don't need to train." She found it REALLY hard and didn't finish. It is not at all easy and you definitely need to prepare for it.

And we were walking in decorated bras, hoodies, leggings and walking trainers. Certainly not wearing/carrying all that shit on the list (bar water, plasters, phone and snacks). It's London streets, so just a ton of concrete and tarmac!

Definitely a big fat NO without training, and crucially, the DESIRE to do it.

Also did the litter-picking on the Thames mentioned above as a company volunteer day. It was fun. But there were loads if different options for other volunteering things, and it is not mandatory to do anything at all.

Your company are crazy and definitely need to rethink. Tell them no.

I'd go but wouldn't fundraise and would finish when I'd had enough. If the company wants to do something for charity then they can make a donation.

Hell to the NO.
I've run a half marathon 21k
I couldn't walk 42k
Right now I have severe tendonitis and cannot walk more than a couple K. If you want an excuse use that one! You can appear to walk fine but of course you can't do material distances.

Surely there is an opt out. I'd literally be shouting I CANNOT DO THAT and walking away. Don't take AL just work as normal. If anyone asks state you CANNOT WALK THAT FAR.

I wouldn’t take a day’s holiday.

You cannot be forced to do this -just say you’d love to participate (ie you’re a ‘team player’), but you cannot for health reasons.

They cannot ask you what those health reasons are.

Mandatory ‘fun’ days are usually anything but 🙄

The more I read in AIBU the more I think it’s clickbait from the mumsnet social media team

If you carry on reading (if its the same one I read) at the end they tell you it can be cold 'on the mountain'.

Let me guess.

It was HR or some bright eyed bushy tailed blue eyed new hire with wealthy parents who came up with this latest exclusionary corporate wankery. I utterly despise the fact we're in this part of the work cycle. I also end up taking time off when it's AwayDay season though I bloody well resent it and every year despise HR that little bit more. I'm not anti social nor do I have an issue with teamwork but I really loathe having to pretend people I dislike. Your company has the added tone deafness of the £300 "donation". All so they can claim tax back for the company no doubt.

do it, sustain an "injury" in the first half hour, week of sick to recover.

Years ago, I worked for a bank that decided it was going to send everyone on team building courses, involved canoeing in Wales I think - second batch that went included my boss, who broke his arm or shoulder.
think he was off for a couple of months.
All subsequent team building was cancelled.