Room sharing on business trip - options when I dont want to??

Comms69

duchy wrote: »

I can think of all sorts of reasons not to share , having a colostomy bag for example , insomnia, sleep apnea, sleep walking, snoring , night terrors.

My ex husband's company insist all their professionals share below a fairly senior level. HR quietly made provision for several people with genuine need and medical evidence but ignored everyone who just didn't like the idea.
A lot of the issues are caused because most of the event planning staff are only a couple of years out of uni rather than older and can't see why it would be a problem as they are accustomed to student sharing and house shares so don't budget for those exceptions as it's not on their radar.

Surely someone senior is monitoring this though? I mean event budgets stretch into the hundreds of thousands.


Having done event planning myself I know that I need sign off from H&S, HR and project sponsor (an exec). The reason is that I'm not privy to all information, all of the time.

duchy

Comms69 wrote: »

Surely someone senior is monitoring this though? I mean event budgets stretch into the hundreds of thousands.


Having done event planning myself I know that I need sign off from H&S, HR and project sponsor (an exec). The reason is that I'm not privy to all information, all of the time.

I found the accomadation budget was often set optimistically low by someone with fairly little life experience. When looking at costs the decision makers tended to not question the low budgets but focused on the ones that needed trimming. An assumption that 250 rooms would sleep 500 people for everyone below VP level was considered entirely correct (and often costed as all standard rooms which was fun if the hotel had fewer standard rooms than that anyway so the already inadequate budget had to stretch to include superior rooms also <sigh>)

Undervalued

duchy wrote: »

Getting along with people in an office environment and sleeping and washing in the same space is a different level of intimacy for most people. I can't think of any work colleagues I'd want to share my home with for several days let alone my bedroom !! Why would I want to do it just because the company fancy a Beano to Monaco ? (I bet it's an IT company )

I totally agree but the unfortunate fact is that many companies regard this as the norm and it is accepted practice in many fields of work.

As I said earlier I can't recall any legal points the OP could rely on. Even if there were, it would be a difficult judgement call as to whether it is in his best overall interest to argue.

So, like others I sympathise and agree it is "unreasonable" but that doesn't help one little bit.

elsien

I could probably live with it for one night but the OP is talking four which is pushing it slightly.
What is the purpose of this little shindig? The employer must think it is of real value to be forking out so much money so is there any scope at all for arguing that it is less relevant to you in your role?

duchy

I suspect if sharing would cause anxiety there's probably a case for "making reasonable adjustment" but yeah. Corporate culture basically stinks in these situations.
I've ducked out of a couple of these things with unable to procure childcare as they stretched over a weekend. I got flippantly told to get my Mum to do it .......so I asked if the daft just graduated twit was a qualified medium as my Mum had died the year before . She shut up ! (Not before asking if his Dad could do it ......"he's working .....presenting at two sessions at the same conference ....so no")

duchy

Plenty of UK hotels within daily commuting distance of most companies , no need to drag unwilling employees abroad. I'm sure most would rather see the airfare and hotel costs used in better for the employee ways rather than for a ridiculously expensive destination like Monaco.

bugslet

I run a haulage business, and we double man....so it is not unusual for two drivers to sleep in the same cab - now that is cosy. They do know the job before hand and we never just send a new start out, we like people to get on with each other; working in a confined environment is a recipe for disaster if they don't get on at all.

However, the nature of our work means that around 75% of the time our drivers sleep in a hotel and it is always separate rooms.

nyermen

My company used to do this at their annual sales events. We did at least have the option to buy out our room, but the whole thing left a sour taste behind. IIRC it was ditched when it turned out the senior management got separate rooms, just the grunts had to share, at which point it became more dubious in employment law.
The question is - where does it end if there's no precedence. Whats to stop a company insisting on room shares when travelling all the time.

Undervalued

nyermen wrote: »

My company used to do this at their annual sales events. We did at least have the option to buy out our room, but the whole thing left a sour taste behind. IIRC it was ditched when it turned out the senior management got separate rooms, just the grunts had to share, at which point it became more dubious in employment law.
The question is - where does it end if there's no precedence. Whats to stop a company insisting on room shares when travelling all the time.

I am not sure why you think that makes it "more dubious in employment law".

As stated, much as I don't like the practice, it is relatively commonplace and not unlawful.

nyermen

Apologies - was trying to rush a bit - you're right of course, it's just people were on many different contracts (due to historical acquisitions), and then it turned out that employees from some countries were exempt contractually, and so it became even more fraught when only some were sharing.

Obviously not unlawful in the UK, I just wish companies wouldn't push the limits - my previous company expected flexibility on travel (cheapest hotels, cheapest flights - low cost carriers where possible - even if that meant weekend travel rather than pricier monday morning - with no option to get back time, long haul in economy class, and so on) but then were strict on the other side such as no working from home at all etc. ie. one way flexibility. Ironically, they had chronic staff turnover as roles are very high skilled, its affecting business and they say they don't understand why.