Would you go away?

[hoomaeyy]

An "away day" has been arranged for 3 (fairly senior people) in my team. This includes travelling for around 3 hours each way and staying 2 nights.

Hotel rooms had been booked. The most senior member pulled out as he had another meeting & had also not confirmed the trip.

They were left with a room that needed to be paid for and therefore asked me to come along. I don't want to go and I hate being away from home but they have been a bit pushy.

I have 2 young children & my partner works full time 7-3, so I normally take them to school & he picks them up. I can't get in to work until 930 on these days as I have to wait for childcare to turn up. Partner has had to take 2 days off so that I can go. They have said I can only stay the one night and then get a train home later that day if I can't do both nights. Partner realised late Friday that he is actually on call as well and can therefore get called out in the middle of the night etc. He is going to have to see if his Mum can sleepover in case he gets called out.

Would you just go on the trip and then next time be a bit firmer if you didn't want to go? I had said that I can go for the one night and they have changed the details on the room booking but I just do not want to go. Perhaps I should just suck it up.

Also, to note that I am not senior at all and 100%would not have been invited if they weren't just trying to fill a hotel room

Just say you can't go because you have children to look after.

I'd tell them you need far more notice so you can arrange adequate child care. You'd not previously mentioned it because you didn't realise you'd be expected to go on these kinds of things. I'd leave it at that.

Not to sound rude, but why did they ask you in particular? Sounds a bit dodgy to me. Just say no, the childcare you thought you could organise for one night, you can't & your husband is on call.

Sorry but I think you’ve missed your chance to say no by agreeing to one night. I’d leave as early as possible the second morning. Pre book your train if you need to.

Any working hours you owe would surely be accrued by you being “at work” the previous evening.
It sounds as if you won’t get invited again but if you do say no from the get go.

They must have chosen you for a reason. Could it benefit your career?
Let them see what you are made of?

Would Granny be willing / able to cover drop of for the couple of mornings?

I think go if you can but not if it mean DH having to use annual leave.