sharing a room with an unknown colleague on a business trip-acceptable??

[silvermum]

How would you feel if your boss expected you to share a room on a business trip with a colleague you know by sight and have perhaps exchanged a few words with over the years but otherwise don't know at all?
I work for a multi national company, in a seniorish position. I have to attend two conferences in October, stretching over two weeks (with a few nights at home in between.)
This is part of my job, and always has been, but this year, for the first time - and with no apology or warning - they expect me to share a hotel room with a (female)stranger.
I feel angry and humiliated. I've raised it with the managing editor, who (irrelevantly) pointed out that I didn't attend the conferences last year. That's because i had a six week old baby ! I have always had a good relationship with the bosses and recently asked for - and got- a decent payrise. Shared experiences/advice, anyone? AIBU?

I would be livid - totally. The only time I have ever heard of this since the days I worked for the NHS was during a big conference (10,000 attendees plus exhibitors etc) when at the last minute another person from our company needed to come and the closest hotel room was 30 miles away. One of the staff who was fairly close to her personally offered to share a room.

I wouldn't accept this - especially as this woman is a stranger

i would be very angry too - sharing a room with a female that i didn't know would be as uncomfortable and unacceptable to me as sharing a room with a man - just my opinion - but i would not be happy.

I definitely wouldn't accept this - especially not for several nights it is totally unreasonable. Who else is going? Will everybody be sharing?

no way. not on at all.

No way. I would book my own room and then charge it to company expenses.

sounds ridiculous for a big company. i'd be pissed off.

no way my dh travels a lot as do his employees and they always get separate rooms even when there are 15 of them going to the same hotel

Is this normal for your firm? I've never heard of this sort of thing!

I don't actually see a problem, myself. How much time will be spent in the room, and how much of that will be sleeping. I personally think it is a bit precious to think that you should have a private room.

In fact its so wrong I would make an official complaint about it.

No, I shared with a female colleague on a last minute trip, a quick overnighter for a meeting early the following morning. We'd mutually agreed. We get on quite well and there were no actual problems, but there's no way I'd do it again. Felt like a complete invasion of privacy, seeing each other without make-up - bleugh!

lou? Are you serious?

No - would hate this. I work for the NHS, and have never, ever had to share a room with someone I know, let alone a stranger.

If your boss isn't willing to bend on this, could you pay to 'upgrade' (ha, ha) to a single?

Would make me very

These are work colleagues not children on a school trip. Don't do it silvermum otherwise you could set a horrible precedent.

This is not acceptable.
I have heard of people who work for the NHS sharing with friends to save the NHS money, but that was voluntary and thier own idea.
Are they asking anyone else to share or is it just you two?

Absolutely no way. How dare they even suggest it. If they can't afford two rooms they can't afford to send you at all.

This used to be common practice at the blue chip company that I work for. When attending large sales conferences you were expected to room-share unless you were a manager. When confirming registration details you did get to nominate someone you wanted to share with, and if they nominated you back, then you were put together. Otherwise you were allocated someone randomly.

Having said that over the last few years the practice seems to have ceased - and even on big events we get a room on our own.

imagine if she wakes up before you and sees you asleep in bed and the covers are all ruched up and you're all akimbo snoring away. of course you wouldn't be naked but still..

and at the comment that you didn't go last year - wtf has that got to do with anything?

No way!

I'd also ask if the men are sharing - if everyone has to share as part of some hard cost cutting, maybe.

Oh, and my 'never share a room' has applied when there have been a couple of hundred people from my company at the same location. In fact, we rarely ever even go into each others rooms.

Not Acceptible. do not go unless you have seperate rooms.

I travel with work and would never agree to that.. once you've agreed once it sets precendence(sp?)

I've shared rooms for work, but only when we have made a joint decision to share to save money for the cause. I have also worked for a non-profit where the boss liked to ask people to share. I always resisted, but never had to say a flat 'no'. One example was our conference, which took place at a hotel in the town where we worked. I said that if we needed to save money, I could just sleep at home - of course I would have to miss the 7am meeting... She soon gave up! Once upon a time I wouldn't have minded too much, but now I really want a little privacy. Can you arrange your own accommodation - any leeway on the expenses front, for example? I would prefer to stay in a cheaper room on my own than a plush shared room - if it's about saving company money the boss might just roll? I know it's a pain, particularly if the boss doesn't see the problem. Just keep reminding yourself that resistance isn't futile.