Being forced to attend out of work events

[Rhetorical]

The company I have worked for have introduced quarterly team meetings. These are offsite in a hotel for the afternoon, often going on until gone 6, then dinner, drinks and an evening activity. Hotel stay overnight then a breakfast meeting and further stuff in the morning before returning to the office in the afternoon.
Im annoyed this, it encroaches on my time out of work, I don’t like sleeping away as I don’t sleep very well and it knackers me for days. Are these things common and also enforceable? I’m resentful as I have to find extended childcare and it’s MY time. I don’t want to do stuff in the evening for work! Where do I stand with this? Managers act like they’re doing you a favour and giving a nice night out with food and drinks but it’s in MY time!

sob sob, all those men who have the best roles wouldn't have them if their wives weren't keeping everything off their backs too.

OP needs to work out what she is prepared to suck up, and what she isn't. Then she needs to tell her company what she is prepared to do and what she isn't. And then see what happens.

(most companies i have worked at have an absolute leave ban for the times of quarterly shindigs like this unless it was booked well in advance of the event, and only then if it was a longer vacation, wedding, or operation)

Yes men and women who have child care obligations and partners who can take over are at an advantage.

Agree the OP needs to pick her line and see what happens.

And companies who 100% blanket ban leave themselves open to an ET

Managers act like they’re doing you a favour and giving a nice night out with food and drinks

I’ve had this nonsense from an employer in the past. Unfortunately (for them) it fell on an evening where I had pre arranged plans so I left at my usual time. I don’t work for free!

As it’s not contractural, no, they can’t do anything about it if you decide not to attend.

Just do the daytime bits or whatever suits you.

It would be a no from me.
It’s a work event and I don’t work for free regardless of them thinking a free meal and a hotel stay is sufficient recompense for
my time.
I’ve worked for enough years to be tired of all this nonsense.
If you’re in your 50s like me,
you probably don’t care about career advancement anyway.
Tell them you’ll attend the part that is in your usual working hours but have commitments that mean you can’t stay late or stay over.