You wrote to the wrong columnist, LW!

[conuly]

DEAR HARRIETTE: My workplace recently implemented a new policy that requires everyone to participate in team-building activities outside of work hours. It consists of raffles and prizes that you can win by answering questions regarding our company processes. While I understand the intention, these activities are taking up a lot of my personal time. I'm reluctant to voice my concerns because I don't want to appear uncooperative when everyone else doesn't seem to have a problem with it. I tried to dodge a few times by saying I have an emergency, but I noticed my manager became more critical of my output afterward. I suspect it's because of my lack of cooperation with the activities. I heard managers get incentives when their team wins. How do you think I can address this in a constructive way? -- Office Politics

DEAR OFFICE POLITICS: Lauren Wesley Wilson, author of "What Do You Need?," tells a story of herself doing her best at work, but being unwilling to do the extracurricular activities. At that stage in her career, she thought that being excellent at her job should be enough. She says she quickly learned that team-building is equally important, and that includes participating in outside activities that are valuable to your company.

My recommendation to you is to do the requested activities with a smile on your face and get to know your teammates. It will pay off in the long run.

Link

Comments

[conuly]

Alison of Ask a Manager is on bereavement leave just now, but I think I can guess at least part of what her answer would've been if LW had written to her instead, so let's try:

1. If this is a mandatory activity, it should be paid. If you're not being compensated for your time, they have no business calling it mandatory.

2. There is absolutely no way LW is the only one who has a problem with this nonsense.

3. If it's not safe to bring this extremely valid complaint up without fear of retaliation then LW may need to suck it up while looking for a new job. No amount of networking is worth ruining your life-work balance.

[ashbet]

All of this!!!

[lokifan]

Absolutely!

I think she might also add something about picking and choosing - going to some of these activities for an hour then leaving - while looking for a new job.

[matsushima]

It's possible that LW is salaried/exempt and doesn't have to be paid for their time at these events as such but that doesn't make this not ridiculous! Especially this part: … my manager became more critical of my output after [I didn't attend these events]. … I heard managers get incentives when their team wins.

Nothing for it but to look for a new job… or unionize but I have a feeling that's not going to be viable here.

[minoanmiss]

Oh poor Alison! Do you happen to know who died? was it her mom, who had been diagnosed with cancer around when I stopped reading the column?

[conuly]

Yes, her mother took advantage of a medically assisted death due to cancer.

[kshandra]

...oof. (I'm glad MAiD was there for her when she needed it.)

[conuly]

Yes, apparently she campaigned for it long before her diagnosis.

[minoanmiss]

thank you for telling me.

[oursin]

MANAGERS get incentives when their team wins????!!!!!!
Ummmmm - this does not sound like a basis for good team-building practice (unless, of course, the team starts bonding over shared antipathy to the manager).

Totally one for AAM!

[movingfinger]

Harriette is out of her depth here. The right answer is to polish that resume and start looking now.

Meanwhile, talk to your fellow employees and get a read on whether anyone actually wants to do this nonsense.

If these after-work activities really are mandatory and not attending is punished, contacting your state's department of labor about mandatory unpaid overtime is worth considering.

[tamsin]

If these type of activities are valuable to a company, they need to pay for the time needed to do them. Otherwise they are clearly demonstrating that they don't find them valuable enough to compensate their workers for their time and just want to take advantage of their workers.

[azurelunatic]

If you have a company directory, see if you can figure out who isn't there when you do put in an appearance. Also, look around for your fellow people who don't seem enthusiastic to be there. Then, network with both groups. See what they think of the activity when they're not being observed about it. Look up local laws about uncompensated mandatory fuckery outside of work hours.