Is it just me that hates wellness days/team building and bonding activities?

[Zippedydoobaah]

I'd rather just be in work. Colleagues are perfectly nice but not particularly the people I'd choose to do yoga or build a raft out of spaghetti and marshmallows with. Unfortunately(!) I was sick on the last wellbeing day but just got a bag of tat brought back. A child's plastic cup, a (dog) toy that is an "emotional support" cucumber and other crap I now need to inflict on a charity shop. My colleagues seem to love these things and I think surely I can't be the only one who hates them? Has anyone ever been brave enough to say they'd rather not do these days?

My sister works in a dental practice and not only do they do team building days, but weekly breakfasts, monthly brunch, 3 weekends away together and so many other weird social things. They all seem weirdly joined at the hip and would rather spend time with each other than their own kids. It's the sort of place that never advertises roles, you have to be a close friend of a staff member to be considered and then every staff member is on the interview panel. My sister started off as a dental nurse 25 years ago and all the staff members are still there. Anytime one tries to leave they get offered a big pay rise so they are forced encouraged to stay.

Yes that's just you. Everyone else just loooooves them! (Except for me, and everyone I work with).

Nope. Pay us more. Give us more flexible working. That will make us "more well".
What sticks in the craw is that companies generally seem to care less about our health than in the past, and it's all about ticking boxes.

No, it’s not just you. Everyone hates them, even the managers who appear to be enthusiastic. (Trust me, I have been one of them). Team building happens in teams working together every day, getting to know people’s strengths, how they work best, developing relationships and adapting styles to make best use of all the talents of the team members over time. HR and consultants love them, though, so they will always be with us, unless you have very good senior management who know what they’re doing.

We had a good one last year. They paid for us to go away to a country cottage... and I think we had one meeting where they told us to relax and and choose or not choose to join in the rest of the stuff put on. We watched Wimbledon one afternoon, some people went for a walk, and lots of food and wine.
I hate forced fun and ice breakers etc but this was different because it was. Came back feeling relaxed and that we knew each other better because we'd had time (if we wanted) to sit around and chat about nothing particular.
Not sure whether it helped our work, but we all said it would be good to do it again <must remind management>

When I was younger I quite enjoyed them because it was easier than work but now find them a bit condescending and futile.

On a related note, my company also has a compulsory "wellness at work"
online module you have to do every year, based around remote working, which most of us do. Desk and monitor height, don't trip over cables, stretch every so often, blah de blah. It was as useful as being told not to eat hot jam tarts. I know the colleague who makes these modules and she is a lovely person who thinks it's really useful, but it's just an infuriating waste of time.

If I was given the choice between a raft building day with my colleagues or a ‘giving back to the community’ day I’d choose the community one every time.
i like my colleagues but I see the ones I’m friendly with in my own time anyway.
As it is, we get a couple of drinks tokens after our quarterly staff conferences and that’s fine, an hour or two in the pub before politely leaving.
I don’t dread it and I don’t relish it either, it’s just fine.

This is so well said.

@RaraRachael didn't look at your user name..came to the last word of your post and thought aye she's Scottish.
I hated those days with a passion some who I worked with I detested and didn't like them any better in an out of work situation.
The loud ones,the kiss arse ones🤮

These things are a load of crap. I’ve had to go to so many of the years at my place of work, and hated every single one! It’s the same old groups who buddy up leaving me (billie-no-mates) talking with the ones left. I’ve always tended to find someone to chat to and we have a good old moan about how we’re really too busy for this shite.
I do dread them though!

Abso fucking lutely. And I’m a sunshine yellow people pleaser. Just HATE them😳

Everybody hates that shite.

Thankfully all this sort of thing was done away with years ago because of reduced finances at my job, but we do have a quarterly team meeting that includes an element of enforced "fun".

Some of the activities over the years have been OK but one really triggering one for me was when they split us into different groups and each group stood in a circle and threw balls to each-other. Started with one ball going round one way then a second the opposite way then random ad-hoc balls from all directions. It was supposed to illustrate routine tasks being disrupted by "curveballs" from elsewhere.

I was the only non sporty person in my circle and one of only 3 women. I am dyspraxic and I can neither catch nor throw. I spent years being shouted at by my sporty father because of this and years being bullied at school/ not chosen for teams.

I will add that I work in an office in which there is no expectation (generally) of throwing or catching anything.

I complained officially about this exercise because I wasn't allowed to opt out, it was totally humiliating and it triggered years worth of memories of bullying. My complaint was taken seriously and no similar activities have been suggested since, just the usual spaghetti and marshmallows.

They are rubbish and unnecessary and pointless and manipulative. The company does not own you!

However I was at one where we were placed in a seated circle and forced into doing a relaxation exercise (manipulativr or what?) ... a recorded drawling American voice was saying: "Concentrate on your face, concentrate on your neck, concentrate on your shoulders" ... and so on downwards ... till we arrived at "concentrate on your genital". Now I know this is childish but I had this mental image of lots of little genitals popping up all round the room ... not conducive to relaxation!

I too hate ‘enforced fun’ and fake ‘well being’ initiatives. A bar of chocolate and a bottle of water is not going to reduce my stress levels and neither is playing bingo when I would rather be finishing my work and going home. We once had a training day and the morning was spent teaching us how to be less stressed - eat well, exercise and sleep better. I would have rather have enough time to eat a proper lunch every day and less pressure to take work home so I could actually exercise and sleep more!

Of course everyone hates this nonsense. Your post suggests that you haven’t seen the accurate and entertaining takedown of work culture that is Wankernomics. Google Wankernomics Teambuilding have the laugh that you need.

For Christmas, we were always given Prosecco and chocolate. One year, we were given a ‘wellness box’ with a scented candle, note book containing inspirational quotes and ideas to reduce stress (such as writing down daily gratitudes) and one or two similar items. I think the alcohol and chocolate did a better job at reducing stress!

This is my idea of hell

Cannot believe people have to endure this, it sounds painful in every way possible wtf

I enjoyed them at my last company

Good to know these things are still hated. We have a budget of £0 and I was feeling pressure. What would you want to do with a couple hours not working with a team you liked with zero budget?

I don’t mind some, I’ve been to a couple in the last month but there’s more booked over the summer. I won’t go to them all. Especially because all of them seem to involve drinking and as of today I’m abstaining for a few months. I like my colleagues but not to see them all the time!

I am happy to do drinks or dinner with work colleagues but avoid any "forced fun" type stuff - ping pong,air hockey, mini golf etc. Luckily we only do those once a year and below me down, one of my DC always has a commitment or appointment I need to accompany them to that day......