company outing

[vic]

Another joy of working in a cube farm is the occasional need for management to initiate bonding/appreciation events.

DH and myself always shun each other's company events as much as possible and bail out of the thing asap. I don't have a lot of desire to get too informal with many coworkers or expose my private life.

Anyway, yesterday we had the annual company picnic. This family event took place in a waterpark. Attendence at the company picnic meant a day off, otherwise you would still have to work. I finally got myself to drive over there after lunch to avoid the loss of a vacation day. Only took *two* hours to get there. I see hundreds of colleagues half naked in their swimming outfits. It was not pleasant to look at some of that flesh. I feel very uncomfortable with that type of stuff. It can be 130 degrees, but I will not parade around in a swimsuit among my half-naked colleagues. This is also a technical company with obviously a small share of women in the workforce.

I walked around the site for a few minutes to bump into enough people and management to confirm my attendance. After I saw one of the ladies in my group rubbing sun tan lotion on my boss's boss's love handles, I had seen enough. I can't do this crap. Work is work, it is too social for me. I like that barrier of clothes. Just another good reason to get out of there but maybe it is just me.

Vicky

 

[KB]

Vicky,
I had similar situations when I worked locally. There was always some jerk who drank too and got obnoxious.
I still work 3 days a week but my work team is in another state. No chance of ever attending a work function....let alone meeting any of them. I don't miss the work functions....

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Vicky,
I had similar situations when I worked locally. There was always some jerk who drank too and got obnoxious.

And if you didnt see one of those...it was YOU!

Ok, it was me.

 

[Nords]

There was always some jerk who drank too and got obnoxious.

Sorry. It won't happen anymore...

 

[Eagle43]

I used to handle the company Christmas Party like a meeting. DW hated to go. So,I got her agreement and we stayed two hours, had two drinks, two dances and left. 8) People knew you were there, but you got home early and with most (not all) integrity intact. She would be whispering in my ear at the table, "Isn't this fun?" Very sarcastic, I dare say.

 

[sgeeeee]

I hated those things when I was working.  My interests and my work colleagues interests had a dot product of near zero.  I'm fine with that.  I don't need to share interests with everyone.  But it meant that social gatherings were boring, painful or both. I got very good at appologizing for having other plans and being unable to attend.  

 

[dory36]

The E-R forum members are having a team building event this weekend.

Everyone is asked to do what ever you please, where ever you please.

Those who elect not to participate can go back to work.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Is there free beer?

I'LL BE THERE!

I used to love those employee get-togethers. Probably because I was the management a-hole that was sponsoring them.

 

[KB]

One event was a company wide baseball tournament where the VPs of the company bought about 10 kegs of beer for all of us to enjoy. Apparently one of my co-workers was an alcoholic and fell off the wagon that day. He spent the day trailing behind various VPs, managers, etc complaining about the company we worked for.

The following Monday he was offered an alcohol treatment program to keep his job, or he could leave. He left. Never saw or heard of him again.

The next year, the VPs did NOT offer free beer. It was really boring the subsequent years.

 

[laurence]

Gee, I always like my events, but everybody says I'm a good schmoozer. I'm not a suck up, really!

Last year one nightmare guy got smashed at the holiday party, and tried to corner anybody to tell them his conspiracy theories. Everyone ran away and he was left to torture one of the bartenders. Even the guy's wife abandoned him. All I could do was cringe.

 

[sgeeeee]

The E-R forum members are having a team building event this weekend.

Everyone is asked to do what ever you please, where ever you please.

Those who elect not to participate can go back to work.

I'll be there. Go Team Go. I'm drinking wine after a hike in the Superstition Mountains, but if you come to Mesa, I'll be happy to share whatever box of wine is in the frig or some Jack Daniels. I promise not to grope anyone or pry into your life in order to get a political edge over you on the board.

 

[Spanky]

I like company's outing events- free dinner and dance afterward at fancy hotels, free food and admission to amusement parks.

 

[Mr._johngalt]

I like company's outing events- free dinner and dance afterward at fancy hotels, free food and admission to amusement parks.

It's always more fun when someone else is paying.

JG

 

[Eagle43]

The E-R forum members are having a team building event this weekend.

Everyone is asked to do what ever you please, where ever you please.

Those who elect not to participate can go back to work.

Sorry, I have a wedding to go to today! Y'all enjoy.

 

[Spanky]

It's always more fun when someone else is paying.

JG

JG,

How can you refuse free stuff with no obligations?

 

[KB]

If you see it as no obligation ..... then that is why we differ in opinion.

 

[tozz]

Re: company outings...

...are my idea of hell!

(or maybe I'm just anti-social)

 

[MJ]

It's always more fun when someone else is paying.
JG

I guess you're saying 4 to 6 hours of your personal time has the same value as the free eats.

 

[laurence]

Well, if it's during business hours, it's a no brainer.

 

[MJ]

Well, if it's during business hours, it's a no brainer.

True.
Our 1st unofficial outing was last year. It was scheduled on the weekend and was held at the VP of sales' home. He suggested every one bring a dish. Even if he hadn't I wasn't interested. Most of the people who went were from the sales department.

 

[laurence]

Weak. Sometimes it's the price of business.

 

[TromboneAl]

When I worked at a bleeding-edge startup software company we all had a great time together. Everyone was pretty young, though.

I remember a lunchtime champagne cruise (the office was right on a dock). We were supposed to go back to work in the afternoon, but that "so didn't happen."

 

[markplus4]

The worst company outings are those that include lots of drinking/partying but morph into something more serious.  Had one of those with our management "team"...after 2 hours of being plied with booze, we then had an unannounced "leadership" exercise....interactive stuff that required responses.  After a few minutes one of my coworkers dryly observed...."it's not fair to get people drunk and then ask them questions.! 

 

[TromboneAl]

You should have told them that if you have to do the exercises drunk, then you should have to work drunk too.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

That would explain a lot of things I've seen at some companies...