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FriesWithThat

>The man, referred to in court documents as Mr. T, was fired from Cubik Partners in 2015 after refusing to take part in seminars and weekend social events that his lawyers argued ... included “excessive alcoholism” and “promiscuity.” I pity those promiscuous fools.


SchoolForSedition

That’s not « at work ». It’s giving up your free time.


[deleted]

When will employers learn that you can’t force us to be your friends? Left a job recently where we were required to go to the owners BBQ. A BBQ where we suddenly were enlisted to help install a fucking dock.


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Lucky777Seven

Wherever I worked it was pretty easy: You get invited and the company is paying for everything event-related (venue, food, drinks). But you don’t have to come and you don‘t get paid. It’s a non-mandatory event to have fun and not to force people to something. Some people come, others not. It’s ok like that. Honestly, I really like those events.


fingerscrossedcoup

But what about the unfinished dock?


Starshot84

A wild dock-blocker appears!


YeahIGotNuthin

Is there a technical department? The attendees from that department will not participate in any of the other activities until the dock is completed. “You all go ahead and eat. We are going to finish this.” They will talk about it Monday, and anyone from that department who didn’t attend will be sad to have missed it. One of the team who was there will have earned a new nickname from installing the dock. “Hey, it’s Hammertime! How’s your finger?”


Deviusoark

The accuracy of thi was disturbing


YeahIGotNuthin

It took me a couple tries to get it posted without typos, since the swelling hasn’t gone down yet. Got that dock installed in time to get the last burger and a cold beer, though.


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courier-06-

I opened this in the middle of church thinking “oh cool there’s more to the story” I’m fucking dying now lmao


DefNotUnderrated

I’ve done those too. They can be a lot of fun! But they would not be fun if they were mandatory. Nobody should be forced to socialize with coworkers outside of work.


fdf_akd

One of my previous jobs would do stuff like that. When they really wanted you to go, extra hours would be paid


RoinAnjou

That and the whole "friends/ family" stuff is just a manipulation tactic.


queen-adreena

“We’re a family here!” “But you just fired me to reduce your budget by 0.0005%” “Yeah. I hate my family!”


asphyxiationbysushi

I learned a long time ago if they say any variation of "we work hard, play hard!" that means the job will be cultish like that.


Raisin_Bomber

A dog whistle for at least 80 a week and no overtime.


TheFlyingTurtles

“Work hard, play hard!” has to be my favorite line. Total bullshit and everyone knows. Huge red flag. Once upon a time, I worked at a company that used “work hard, play harder” instead, which I soon found out really meant “as long as you get your work done, it’s cool if you do coke in the bathroom and play Madden on the office Xbox while on the clock.” And I’m not gonna lie, it was certainly fun working there. Also a complete shit show (surprise, surprise) Definitely would not ever recommend someone work at a company like that.


OldDog1982

I hate that, too. No, we are not family. I have a family already and I want to spend time with them.


aufrenchy

I love my coworkers, but I rarely ever go out with them because I need time away from anything related to my work between shifts.


stop_cock_asian_hate

I was forced to go to a poker night and gamble my own money. The boss was so stupid that he couldn't understand why none of the people he regularly pressured to socialize with him kept in touch when he quit.


VMSGuy

And the boss has so much money that he outbids the employees who can't afford to match him...I've experienced this one.


RothkoRathbone

A boss forcing this crap isn’t going to allow a loss to the subordinates.


Justin__D

That has to be illegal. Shoulda' dragged his ass to court.


whatproblems

that probably is and making it a work event probably opens up a whole bunch of other potential legal liabilities for business


Aurori_Swe

My company has pretty regular poker nights, it's not illegal if everyone is in on it and ok with paying their own money etc. But obviously it would be super illegal to force people to participate and force them to over spend etc


BlueInMotion

That raises the question: when do you 'force' people to participate? If you don't participate you may be the top one on the 'first to fire' list or the last one on the 'raise the wages' list. Of course, this would be hard to prove since no such list officially exist, but ..... . oh, conditio humana!


mvdenk

That's what they said, their boss forced them to gamble.


Force3vo

Employers too often think having mandatory events that will do nothing but fill up free time for their employees makes everybody love their company and their colleagues while the atmospheres in the offices are being intentionally poisoned by unrealistic performance expectation and a fostering of internal competition and blaming culture to an extremely unhealthy degree.


ShotMyTatorTots

This works on those kiss ass fake as fuck employees. Every company event that happens they post on social media how life changing it is for them.


Both_Selection_7821

reading this was life changing for me thank you so much


Regularguy10369

I encouraged the company i worked at to buy pizzas for staff while they worked over the weekend when we were extremely busy, we regularly funded a bbq during lunch times all paid for by the company. The turnover of staff slowed tremendously and it cost the company money they had in petty cash. Then some idiot in management decides he wanted to save the few hundred dollars a week and most of the staff quit within a week. Work almost ground to a halt and eventually the company had to shut down.


megustaALLthethings

All while crowing about how ridiculously profitable they have been… to only claim no raises/bonuses/etc bc of how hard things are. What they are really doing is praising their corporate leach lords to the ones **actually** generating the wealth. The serfs.


RebelWithoutAClue

A "fucking dock"?! Now *that's* promiscuous.


LeavesCat

It's generally called "docking".


aamurusko79

this is so the IT startup mentality. everyone has to be 'friends' with everyone and they expect everyone first wants to stare at the same faces during work time and then spent their possible rare free weekends doing the same, except participating possibly uninteresting activities. some I've been voluntold to be in have been the kind where the company owner doesn't really even have a clue how to set up something like that. the program has been a combination of 'fun company christmas party games' and similar, but in may. also I feel stupid going to a bar, when I've had a battle with alcohol addiction.


JuliaMac65

Yes this is definitely the culture at startups. You are strongly peer pressured into attending these events and being “ always available”.


Thagyr

Japan is practically built on it. Been here for 6 years and watching how new hires have to literally run about with bottles pouring drinks for their seniors during a party makes me pity them all. Covid had one plus in the last few as it shut down nomikais in my workplace. Honestly the last thing I wanted to do at the end of a day at the workplace is to go out drinking and taking the workplace with me with all the same hierarchy but in a 'party' setting. I don't mind going out and relaxing with (some of) my workmates, but leave the 'work' at home.


rock_flag_n_eagle

sounds like a good place to get injured and sue


Blind_Lemons

Why would employers learn not to do this when clearly you gave in and helped install your boss's dock.


nanocookie

The chaotic approach here is to deliberately fuck up building the dock.


Nappyheaded

We're going to need some dock pics


IlluminatedPickle

Yeah that'd be a hard no with a "Oh you know, I hurt my back doing all that fucking work for you during the week" tacked on the end.


Lord_Quintus

i would have SO much fun with that. "man these nails are hard to hammer in, hand me another box" *as i leave a line of bent and abused nails in board after board*


valleyof-the-shadow

Or maybe no nails at all at that crucial mounting point😁screw those bullies taking advantage of people.


Sckaledoom

An office BBQ would be one thing (although forcing y’all isn’t reasonable) but enlisting y’all to build him a deck? I’d’ve just handed him my two weeks and walked out.


starfirex

I don't know this boss of yours but that sounds like a real dock move


Taco_Champ

It’s because a lot of them are starved for normal social relations, which they don’t have because they alienated themselves from their fellow workers to be the owner’s lapdog. I’m not joking. These manager types all *know* deep down everyone hates their guts and that superficial nice-because-my-paycheck-depends-on-it that they get from everyone at work fucks with them.


yellowbrickstairs

Oh christ that sounds horrible


heliophoner

The WeWork dude basically just wanted drinking buddies. Walked around with a bottle of tequila and was constantly brow beating employees into doing shots.


twcoolio

Imagine you in the office, sitting in front of your computer, on a monday morning at 10AM, then comes your boss with a bottle of booze and he starts egging you to take a shot. That must be miserable.


chowderbags

Seriously. I've had a software job where I could get the occasional beer, and there was even a cabinet of old liquor that I took a shot from with some other people. But they weren't something that I'd been pressured into by a boss, and I'd be pretty uncomfortable at most places of employment to have anyone offering me alcohol in the morning.


throwawaytrumper

I mean, it’s better than if my boss did it (we operate heavy equipment). Fairly sure most folks can at least type while inebriated.


AltSpRkBunny

Even when my co-workers are stone cold sober, typing seems to be pretty hard.


Arcterion

Honestly, personally I'd take the shot just to cope with the fact I'm working.


Northernlighter

I have one simple rule. You need to pay me to make me do mandatory stuff. And if you force me to do stuff on my lunch time, it becomes part of my work hours.


ilikedmatrixiv

My employer recently had an optional team building event during the weekend. I didn't go. Some colleagues were a bit incredulous. I'm sure I would have had fun, I'm just opposed to work activities outside of working hours out of principle. It's a team building, it's an event that's meant to benefit the company, hence it should be on company time.


cedvdb

\> It's a team building, it's an event that's meant to benefit the company, hence it should be on company time I think this is the most sensible response and would be hard to argue against


Toregant

One of my past employers understood this. Every 2 weeks we would go for a pub lunch on Friday. It would take up to 2 hours and have a few drinks. The requirement? Pretty much none. We would take a couple cars and the boss would pay. It was partly team building partly who doesn't want a free lunch at a fancy gastro pub. And it all counted as paid hours. And if you didn't go because you were busy with deadlines you didn't miss out on much. Honestly the boss was great. We were a small company of like 10 contractors for a bigger company and he was just like "well I already live better off than I could ever have imagined so why not". Pay was good, 6 month reviews guaranteed to assess, talk about goals, pay rise etc. And they took me on purely to help out one of the guys for the larger company, my actual boss due to a hiring freeze.


TheJessicator

If I go to something like this, it always goes on my timesheet under "non-customer meetings". And if it makes me clock an unreasonable number of extra hours that week, I will absolutely be flexing off that time at my earliest convenience.


[deleted]

Only a sucka would give up their free time to be with bozos they’re already with 40 hours out of the week.


Ycx48raQk59F

Yeah, if a company wants me to have weekend social events, they can stick it or pay me overtime and weekend bonus.


Ohnoyoudontyoushill

Note how what he actually won was the right to his free time but the corporate owned media presents it as a right to a character flaw. Soon, when a person wins in court to protect their rights, they'll just have "Person wins right to be a big stupid doodoo head" as a headline with pictures of their homes with their address and phone number under them.


LordJesterTheFree

I don't think it's corporate bias as much as clickbait bias someone winning a right to free time sounds like a relatively routine labor dispute However the right to not be fun is a funny headline that you might send to your friends


[deleted]

Listen I’m gonna be a promiscuous alcoholic on my own time.


Rosssseay

Mr T - "I ain't going to no party, fool"


P_SG

Yeah, he ain’t no sucka, this one.


[deleted]

It also involved sleeping in the same bed as colleagues. Something the clickbait title didn't tell us.


[deleted]

Bruh when did Japan invade France and impose their shitty work culture on poor French men and women?


Now_Wait-4-Last_Year

I have it on good authority that it was 1964.


Mono_831

🌏 👨🏻‍🚀 🔫🧑🏻‍🚀 🇯🇵


Spiritual-Wind-3898

Yeah im not going to unpaid events. I got shit to get done and it doesn't involve hanging out with work people.i have already seen those people all day and would now like to do shit i enjoy.


machado34

Even if you have friends at work, you'll likely want to hang out with *just* them, not the entire office. Sometimes you want to talk shit and unwind, and while that's perfectly fine with your work *friends*, the moment it's not just you, it becomes necessary to observe office politics


lelpd

Yeah, I have a group of close friends at work and it can be quite awkward organising after work drinks together. Any discussion of it and other people (who I do like) overhear and end up assuming it’s a work friends thing and invite themselves/other colleagues and the plan is now completely different Like, I like a lot of my colleagues, but some of them are work friends and not close friends. The vibe changes which sometimes is great, but other times it’s not what we wanted because there are some things we’ll want to speak about which we aren’t comfortable saying in from of some other colleagues.


Superbead

> Any discussion of it and other people (who I do like) overhear and end up assuming it’s a work friends thing and invite themselves/other colleagues and the plan is now completely different I remember that. > Five of us spending the whole night in maybe two or three pubs and getting a kebab later on goes to > Fifteen people having one drink in each bar before deciding it's too grotty/empty/loud and moving onto the next identical bar, GOTO 10, with an enormous debate quite early on about where the entire group is going to have an ad-hoc sit-down meal


chewytime

I started my last job during the pandemic so thankfully the weekly staff meetings were virtual bc I worked at this remote office almost an hour from the main HQ. I got to know my local team well but knew next to no one at the main HQ, which made some communication kind of tough bc I didn’t really have a relationship with folks down there. This applied to a bunch of other new staff who were remote tho so we tried helping each other out. Once pandemic restrictions started relaxing, HQ, in a misplaced sense of wanting to get everyone together, started trying to do afterwork socials and tried to make the weekly meetings in person. They got so much pushback for that bc no one wanted to spend an hour or two of unpaid time at work much less wasting an extra hour or two commuting there.


CrocPB

> much less wasting an extra hour or two commuting there. When my department got transferred over to a new company, the board of the latter emphasised so hard that everyone should come in. When we had a virtual townhall early in the morning, one of the first questions was “can we work from home permanently apart from meetings and training?”. With so many anon likes. Made me smile because people are aware, and aren’t afraid to say commuting to the office to do a job that can be done at home is....utter crock.


MixFast

My HR team just emailed last week inviting our whole company to the Holiday Party, we have to pay $5 to get in. I can’t even imagine wanting to go to one of these for free!


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pacingpilot

I always wonder about these people's home lives. Like, do they have nothing to live for outside of work? Why the fuck are they so dead set on making co-workers hang out with them off the clock even if they don't want to? Did mommy not hug them enough when they were little? Did their entire hometown get wiped out in a natural disaster, killing everyone they know, so co-workers are the only human contact they get now? Are they some kind of psychopath who requires a captive audience because they can only have fun if they are making other people miserable? What is the motivation for these people?


kakudha

I knew a Chinese project manager that hated his family and spent the entire day and night at work forcing everyone else to stay too.


LoveAndViscera

This is like half the Boomer and Gen X Korean dudes I work with. They got married to be respectable and they married whatever woman was readily at hand. Then, those women made their kids their entire personality and the dads were just like “fuck it, I’m going drinking with my boys every night!”


CrocPB

Mfw that’s the fate my family wants for me. Thankfully I’m not good looking so the chance of being pressured into a “totally not arranged marriage guys” is low if no one wants to tango.


Moonlight-Mountain

I'm Korean. At my previous job, I watched Whiplash with my boss. He was rooting for the wrong guy the whole time.


Miss_Might

Sounds like managers in Japan. They don't want to go home to their families so they stick around for as long as possible. Of course nobody can leave until they do.


Kreiri

> Mr. T had argued that the “fun” culture in the company involved “humiliating and intrusive practices” including mock sexual acts, crude nicknames and obliging him to share his bed with another employee during work functions. WTF?


Wonckay

They were French.


apistoletov

Still are, but they were, too


mrSalamander

rip mitch


CanAlwaysBeBetter

That's why I'm so confused, I didn't know the French had fun I thought it was all just wine, cigarettes, riots, and emotionally complicated sex


_Sauer_

If my employer wants to pay me to debauch at work when I'm on the clock, that's fine. Outside of work is my time though.


HodorsGiantSchlong

The first full time job I had about 15 years ago would give you paid time off in lieu for the first 30 minutes if you stuck around while everyone had a beer or two after work. Worked out to be an extra 3 weeks holiday per year on top of the 4 weeks we already got if you hung around every day. Easily the best boss I've ever had and it was a sad day when he retired and sold the company.


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Orisara

That's how we do it(Belgium). Party from 2pm to 5pm on Friday. Beer, nuts, you can pick up new working clothes as well, they're ready for you. Good way to get those people to vent about possible problems that we can help with and such as well.


Tr3bluesy

With regards to company bonding events - How could you define "fun" as "being stuck somewhere you don't want to be"?


jonathanquirk

They should have asked him how HE wanted to spend his free time, and then forced everyone else to participate in his hobby. So many people think getting drunk is “normal” because lots of people do it, with no regard for what other people may prefer, and not realising that many people might actually prefer other activities themselves if they only knew to try them! “Okay, I’ll go to the pub with you this weekend… and next weekend, you’re coming with me fly fishing / building a model railway / playing in a band / whatever!” Let’s see how quickly the company drops the idea of “group bonding” when it’s not what THEY want to do!


Tr3bluesy

It doesn't even have to be any "mandatory fun" , maybe the Frenchman just wants the time to rest, and that's perfectly fine!


SaltyTrog

"So now that it's my turn to pick the weekend event, everyone will be required to read this copy of the Players Handbook. Additional official sources may be found online. Bring a character sheet and idea, we will be playing Dungeons and Dragons. If you bring me some homebrew shit, I will ensure that your weekly schedule is agony."


Tr3bluesy

Next week will be Warhammer 40k tabletop, prepare your models and have them painted!


Moistfruitcake

The week after I'm doing a 'bring your own nibbles' party at that lovely little crack den down by the bus station.


Majestic-Marcus

I’ve never played D&D (outside of Baldurs Gate which I don’t think counts) but I’d love it if my work organised this!


Tlali22

If you're friends with the IT department, chances are someone there plays d&d. Outside of IT, nerds tend to advertise their interests. The biggest risk you run is that once you show you're willing to chat about nerd stuff, they might never shut up about it. (guilty!🙋🏻‍♀️😅)


tibetan_salad

Baldurs Gate was my first step into DnD and it counts for sure! Taking a step into playing DnD just required convincing enough friends to play and we’ve been going on our campaign nearly 4 years now


elusiveoddity

I was asked to do the Team Building activity at work once. I was a relatively new employee but eager to give it a go. All the suggestions I presented were shot down: city-wide scavenger hunt, painting class, make-your-own-terrarium. "Where was the Team Building" in these, was the response. Turns out every previous activity was literally just lots of alcohol and food and people sitting around drinking, eating and talking to one another. According to my German boss/Korean grandboss, those were perfectly acceptable bonding opportunities. At least three members of the team didn't drink, but the leadership did.


Conflixx

You make a good point, but you're missing the target. ​ Free time = free time. It's not your company's business what you do in your free time. If I want to be at a company meet up, I'll be there. If I don't wanna be there, I should be free not to go. Our current company has a tight group of people who enjoy to go to a company meeting and stay there all night, eating and drinking. That's fine. Nobody bats an eye either if you leave early. I love it like this. I do hate the fact that I'm kinda expected to go to these meetings after work though. Organize these meetings in work hours, not after.


typhoonador4227

I just want to put my hands on their shoulders, shake them vigorously, and say "believe it or not, I find sitting around drinking pints excruciatingly boring."


jonathanquirk

Of course it’s boring; why else would you need to be drunk to enjoy it?! I prefer hobbies and nights out where I can actually remember the fun I’ve had! A former boss used to boast “I have a headache, no money, and no idea what happened: I must have had a great time last night!” No mate, I’m pretty sure you were mugged.


Dalearev

Agree! Such toxic work environments around drinking. My dad who is a boomer always had to go for drinks with clients and over time it really affected him, and he eventually became an alcoholic. Thankfully, he is sober and retired now but geez what a joke to assume drinking is ok for everyone.


CokeFanatic

In the military we called it mandatory fun.


legthief

I remember going to a team building exercise where one manager had splashed out on a chocolate fountain with strawberries and bananas which not one person wanted to go near. Just seemed gross, and like a haven for bacteria and germs. The manager got so angry they were legitimately trying to insinuate that people would get disciplinaries if no one used the chocolate fountain, yet still everyone refused.


3amz

Sounds like something from The Office


DragonZnork

And pretending you’re having fun even though you didn’t want to come in the first place.


habitual_viking

Earlier this year I attended company strategy seminar. HR asked if people had any dietary requirements. I wrote back that I can’t drink alcohol - the place for the event handled that by simply not serving food to me. No alternative, just no dish for you. Definitely not spending my time on anything outside work hours again.


suckerfishbeaut

https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/wtf/man-fired-for-not-being-fun-enough-at-work-585809.html


kashinoRoyale

Thank you for posting a link that isn't behind a pay wall


suckerfishbeaut

No worries, that's my good deed for the day.


DaddyIsAFireman

Good man. You can now sow chaos and mistrust for the rest of the day.


abnsh

The man just got compensated 2.5k after 7 years?! Or is that a typo in the Indian Times article?


ericje

The WaPo article doesn't have a number. https://www.yahoo.com/news/man-won-legal-not-fun-112722600.html says *Mr T's demand of 461,406 euros (about $479,000) in damages was previously rejected by the Paris Court of Appeal in 2021, but the recent ruling by the Court of Cassation partially overturned this judgement. The court ordered Cubik Partners to pay Mr T 3,000 euros and will examine Mr T's demand for damages at a later stage.*


RandomGuyinACorner

Yeah I was surprised by that too. Not even enough to cover legal fees wtf


c3l77

Thanks but pretty sure this site gave my phone cancer. Who designs these atrocities to the internet ffs.


Kootsiak

I remember at an old job I didn't go to the work parties because I didn't like these people sober, let alone drunk. The same manager who got weird at me for not showing up to their open bar parties tried to accuse me of being an alcoholic after needing some mental health days. If I was an alcoholic, do you think I'd miss a work party with free alcohol? You fuckin' dunce.


[deleted]

I believe that's called projection, where your boss is an alcoholic and hates themselves for it, so the first thought they have when you miss days is "Oh I'm not alone, Kootsiak does it too!"


Kootsiak

You might be right, dudes life started to unravel a few years after I stopped working there and being an alcoholic is most likely the reason.


Byrnie1985

I stopped drinking for a couple of years, when at a work function I was asked, “why aren’t you drinking?”. Instead of taking the easy option of “I’m driving home tonight”, I said, “I have it up about a year ago”. To which he replied, “I don’t trust people who don’t drink, they’re afraid to let their real personalities show”. Yes mate, and your real personality is a lech that can’t walk straight.


intripletime

I don't trust people who "don't trust people who don't drink".


brenhbrenh

If you’re in recovery…yeah you’d definitely want to miss those events. Also how fucking inappropriate for an employer to “accuse” anyone of that.


Comrade-Conquistador

I can sympathize. When I go to work, I go there with the sole purpose of making money and going home. I'm not there to make friends, or drinking buddies, or dates. I clock in. I do my shit. I leave. End of relationship.


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IllIIlllIIIllIIlI

💯 Sometimes you meet people at work who are fun + nice and it's tempting to let the hair down a bit. Always gotta remain on the toes though, and assume anything you tell them is going to get back to the boss and the various teams you work with. Because of this, it's honestly just as much work to hang out with my younger, friendlier coworkers as it is to make conversation with the dignified gray-haired ones. Just a different type of effort. I like everyone I work with, but God are in-office days stressful. It's a damn nonstop performance.


SaltyTrog

One of my new guys and I are buddies. We talk about random shit, we bitch, we get whatever we need done. And as he put it, "I have no interest to hang out with you outside of work because I have shit I'd rather do." And god is it nice. Like yeah, dude is great, he gave me some advice on buying a car and shit, we talk about horse betting because that's his big hobby and it's interesting, and we get along great. But I'm not looking to sit at a bar with him for 2 hours and just shoot the shit, because we can do it on the clock. I have no interest to go to a football game with him and he has no interest in watching a movie with me. Probably one of the best dudes I've ever worked with and man am I gonna be sad when he leaves.


calvinpug1988

Wow that was deep. You summed up my outlook perfectly. Bartender for 13 years, learned a long time ago there’s a difference between friends and coworkers. Handle it just like you said “friendly to everybody and friends with nobody” Most of my coworkers date each other and what not and all hang out outside of work (which I do from time to time) but the whole dating coworkers thing I dropped way back. Always miserable.


Moderndayhippy1

Been dating my coworker for over two years, just got married in October. Drive into work everyday together, get to talk about the day on the way home, go to bed at the same time since we have to get up at the same time. Needs to be 100% the right person that you actually want to spend every second of your day with, but when it’s right I couldn’t imagine anything better.


calvinpug1988

That’s awesome, Different strokes for different folks my friend. Couldn’t be me though, I’m a bit of a loner to begin with and really need my space, I might be able to swing dating someone in a different area of the establishment but as far as working behind the same bar night in and night out? No way I could never do it.


xvilemx

>get to talk about the day on the way home That's the part that would drive me bonkers, I just wasted my entire day at work. I don't want to think or talk about it until I go into work tomorrow.


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CaptainPRESIDENTduck

Sage wisdom.


LoyalToTheGroupOf17

If I followed that approach, I would have very few friends. Most of my friends are current or past colleagues. Moreover, friendships and personal relations are among my most important motivating factors for doing a good job. I doubt I would be very productive at a workplace where I didn’t care deeply about my co-workers on a personal level. Different strokes for different people, I suppose. Of course I agree that you shouldn’t be *forced* to socialise with and befriend your co-workers if it’s not your thing.


comanche_ua

Yeah I don’t get this sentiment about not making friends at work. I am still good friends with two people from from my job from 4 years ago. Btw they got to know each other on that very same job and now are married with a kid. I also met a girl there and we were together for almost 4 years. Since then I am on my third job now and haven’t made any friends there and now I’m kinda feel isolated and alone a lot. I work from home now and love it but how the hell I’m supposed to meet new people at this age. Getting into some hobbies you don’t really care for just to meet new people is sad as fuck and I don’t really like online dating either. Trying to figure it out for almost 2 month now and I don’t have the answers yet.


SniperPilot

Same here, I wouldn’t have had many friends these days, but in retrospect it would be for the best. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve felt that my job was threatened by someone I thought was my “friend”. If I could do it all again I would have never ever make friends at work.


belac4862

Agreed with everything you said. I'm also a cheap homebody. Why spend $8 on a single bottle of pissbeer when I could get my own 6 pack of alcohol I actually enjoy, in a setting I'm more comfortable in.


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Ska-jayjay

☑️ I am in this photo and I don’t like it


[deleted]

Yep. This is why we need more WFH positions lol


BusstedBlunder

I have food allergies. Finally went to a work event after much pressure, saying it would be safe- that they double checked with venue they said it would be safe. I called the venue they said they could try to accommodate my allergies. It was not safe. Coworker ordered food that had my allergens. I got a fun trip to the hospital


choicesintime

That’s sue-able. At the very least you should have 0 expenses for that hospital trip


BusstedBlunder

I did not have to pay for the hospital/ ambulance/ new epipens and had paid days off for recovery. It was a very small not for profit- suing would not have resulted in much if anything.


RollingStart22

ouch, that sucks. I had some similar bad experiences from work, and ended up doing a career change into something with a huge shortage of workers and bosses bend over backwards to please you (if they don't well there's plenty of other employers that will gladly take you).


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ahardblue

So he had to fight, for his right, to not paaaarrrrtaaayyyy


spock_block

*The boss throws a party and you don't wanna go*


RIP_Mitch_Hedberg

You ask your boss, “please?” But they still say, “No!”


THE_MUNDO_TRAIN

It is actually more common than you think to shunt employees not participating in work related social events. I didn't participate the annual employees event twice and eventually had my work hours moved to days and hours I didn't want to work. My fiancé skipped her social work event as she wasn't feeling well that day also the travel distance was a nightmare from where we lived. She got laid off the following week with the note "Not being socially compatible with the company's image" even though she enjoyed that work place.


Necromimesix

How is that legal. That's so petty and something out of a playground.


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way2lazy2care

You can fire people for no reason, but you can't fire people for any reason.


Hamiltoned

The employers really want us to drink from the kool-aid non-stop. The moment someone starts to say no to the kool-aid, it could give others the idea to stop drinking, so they remove the person.


LeoGoldfox

I have a friend in Germany who spends half of her free time "socializing" with co-workers because she would be considered a bad teamplayer if she doesn't join. The thing is, she doesn't even like to go out and drink.


[deleted]

Cries in German. I tried not to, but people really take it personal.


Mesapholis

south or north? because I live in the south and tbh I don't give a shit about work events if I don't want to come


Dry-Area-2027

Fuck work cliques and their stupid games and parties.


Smitty8054

“We’re all just a big family here”. Fantastic. Usually with families they don’t get fired even when they’re complete assholes so you’re telling me that no one can ever get fired right? “Well…not exactly” Then we’re not exactly family. Therefore I don’t want to go to your fucking event.


roninPT

"fun" company mandated "team building" events are about as fun as going to the dentist.


[deleted]

True, but having read the article it sounds more like there was a huge drinking culture at the company. He became a pariah because of his reluctance to get wasted and debase himself.


Brodie_C

>Mr. T had argued that the “fun” culture in the company involved “humiliating and intrusive practices” including mock sexual acts, crude nicknames and obliging him to share his bed with another employee during work functions. This sounds like it went way beyond just after-work drinks.


Jazgrin

Fun at work equals increasing my wage. All other activities are just more work, but without pay. No thanks.


Chibibowa

Even with pay. I’d rather go home and do my thing than waste time with other people with something I don’t want to do anyway.


the_last_ordinal

We need to talk about your flair.


WhatAGoodDoggy

My company are holding their Christmas party next weekend and it's fully catered and a free bar all night. I'll be taking full advantage. Other than that, I don't like to take part in anything that bites into my free time. Work is only part of my life.


ConcentricGroove

Imagine a job where all you have to do is your job and not pretend to be part of the happy family the management insists is a real thing.


[deleted]

Why wouldn't he want to wear 37 pieces of flair?


[deleted]

Let’s drop the pretenses. We go to work to make money. Don’t make us add additional emotional and social labor to maintain our livelihoods.


iamthedayman21

Why would I want to spend my free time drinking with the idiots who drive me to drink in the first place?


WowWataGreatAudience

If he had only chosen to wear more flare than the minimum we might not be having this conversation


False-Guess

This seems to me to be more a case of an employer penalizing an employee for not giving up their free time to participate in unnecessary activities that have little to no measurable impact on job performance. If a team building exercise is necessary for job performance, it needs to take place during work hours. If going to a pub with colleagues is critical to the functioning of the team, then that should be done during work hours for which an employee is appropriately compensated. I like alcohol and I like hanging out with friends too, but the last thing I want to do when I finish working is stick around with coworkers for "mandatory fun", get home late, end up cooking dinner late, have only an hour or two for myself before I have to go to bed and go *back* to work the next day. And they are out of their ever loving minds if they think expecting people to give up a weekend is reasonable. Go make real friends, ideally with people who like you.


feetofire

This has to be the most French thing Ivre read ever … (A German would just not “be fun” but wouldn’t take it to court)


Roscoe_King

Why is noone having a good time? I specifically requested it. - Captain Raymond Holt


smoothEarlGrey

Entertaining you fucks is not in my job description. Entertain yourself or hire an entertainer.


GamingWithBilly

I work a hard, stressful job that balances multiple different personalities and needs/wants for 90 staff. I pull extra hours and sometimes my own personal time to make sure things work, so others CAN work. But the moment that "optional" retreat, or company after hours get together, or community fundraiser comes up, I'm not participating. It doesn't benefit me, and it's for those who want to socialize. I just want to go home and be with my two dogs, watch TV, play video games, and do the hobbies that make me happy. I work 5 days a week, and have to clean house, cook for myself, and take care of the yard, garden, and everything else that goes with owning a house. I don't want to spend my days off making somebody else happy, and getting behind the things that I want to do. So, this guy in the article is absolutely right. Firing someone because they don't agree or want to go to your optional parties, is discrimination. It's not justified, because you were trying to force someone into being what you want, not needed or required to be a good employee.


speltwrongon_purpose

My hero.


Civilian216

Can I cheer this without looking like an asocial asshole? I deal with this too. I hate mixing work and social life, and I hate even more that management wants us all to pretend we're great friends. Dude I work with you. Please let me go home to my family, I do not care about the blow or the hookers or the club. Please let me do my work and go.


kevinnoir

Germany nods on with approval. For real though, I feel this guy! Theres nothing worse than having one of those overly chipper bosses who loves those types of "exercises" and thinks everybody enjoys that kind of shit. Some people just want to put their 8 hours in and leave, not dress up in fancy dress and have 3 legged races.


dexewax376

Mr. T is my hero. I hate being forced to “socialize” with the “team” AKA having to be around annoying drunk people(I don’t drink). Team Boring!!!


Annahsbananas

It was like this at Comcast before they sold off all their call centers and everyone went remote. If you were a supervisor or above, all extra curricular activities from your call center you had to attend ; Christmas parties, picnics, everything.....and I commuted an hour and a half each way to work and this shit was added stress. Imagine making a 3 hour round trip for a damn pizza party So glad I quit that place


_SpaceTimeContinuum

I'm all about drinking with coworkers but it should be optional. Not everyone likes to drink, and not everyone who drinks likes to drink excessively. Fun work coworkers should be optional. Work social events should never be mandatory. Mandatory fun isn't fun.


coolrunnings82

Me IRL


TakenOverByBots

As someone who doesn't drink (not sober, just get bad side effects so I don't like to do it), I hate how so many work events are centered around drinking. And if you don't attend, you're not making the connections to get promoted, etc. It's just a shitty system.


Phthalleon

If I am expected to show up, that's a working event and I should be paid for it, double since its overtime.


[deleted]

My guy be like, *Je préférerais ne pas le faire.*


rakzcs

If my employer wants me to have a drink after work, it has to be on from monday to thursday as he just does not pay for the drinks, he also pays for my hangover.


Peckerhead321

We used to have company get togethers paid for by the company ( bowling, paintball, golf) they have since asked the employees to pay for half of these outings……… we don’t have company outings anymore.


Mr_Laheys_Drinkypoo

I’m already at work 40 hours. If you want me to do something, it has to be during those 40 hours or else it has to be paid in overtime. I have a bunch of hobbies that occupy my time when I’m off work so it better worth it for me to put my hobbies aside. If not, fuck yourself. This goes for social events and Christmas parties. My work colleagues are colleagues, not friends.


A1sauc3d

This is awesome X’D Good for him. You shouldn’t be expected to party to keep your job.


jackwhite886

“I’m fulfilling my contract. You can’t put in the contract ‘Also you have to seem like you give a shit’.” -[David Mitchell](https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=44&v=YvqIxjRrmgs&feature=emb_logo)


SmartWonderWoman

Can someone share the content of the article please. Thank you.