I need to grumble.
I work for a company whose head office is in London. Twice a year they send out an employee survey and then hound you for a couple of months to fill it in. From the last survey they appear to have decided that we are an unsatisfied bunch and have 'invited' (not actually allowed to refuse the invite!) us to participate in a 'team building' exercise. The last one coincided with a change in bonus allocation - no wonder everyone was peeved.
At our Christmas do, a restaurant was hired in London, a seating plan was arranged so that no one actually sat with anyone they knew, liked, or would ever see again (except at enforced do's like this) - just to ensure you felt really comfortable. Nothing like eating a christmas dinner with 9 strangers whilst stone cold sober to start your christmas with a bang.
This new team building exercise involves all the regional staff travelling to a London venue (240 mile round trip from our office) to hang with the London staff, having lunch and then being forced to particpate in tasks for the remainer of the day - it is going to be painful.
When watching the London staff interact with each other it all appears rather 'stepford' ... strained happy faces and an odd sort of desperation in the air. Throw in the regional office staff who are altogether more laid back and completely pissed at having to travel so far for this and it just becomes plain horrendous.
I just can't wait to sing 'kum by ya' around the boardroom table with people I have absolutely no dealings with and who just happen to work for the same company.
To cap it off, today I found out that this part of the event does not finish till 5.30pm - great. Not only am I going against my will, I have to travel during rush hour and won't get home till 7.30pm which is well into my own time as I usually finish work at 4.30pm. If I want to stay for the optional part of the event (bowling) I will be lucky to be home by midnight - woo hoo - not.
Whatever happened to paintballing as a team exercise? At least you got to shoot people you didn't like.
My husband Jim
3 months ago
3 comments:
Hey, it sounds like you work for the same company as me! :-)
The main point that repeatedly comes out of our opinion surveys is that we don't think we're paid enough. This is something I happen to agree with - we've had year upon year of below-inflation or zero pay rises, despite the company being quite profitable.
The company's latest response was - "Well, you would say that, wouldn't you? Nobody ever says they're being paid too much." Patronising so-and-so's. But they're setting up a task force to look into pay and conditions. The last time they did this, the conclusion of the task force was that they decided we were being paid enough after all. And I can't see this time being any different.
I can't wait for the day when I tell them where to stick their job, and drive off into the sunset in a motorhome!
.. i'll be a few feet behind you Steve!
Apparently the comments I made at the day to the organiser got back to the senior management team. Anything good I do never goes that far ... just goes to show that bad news travels fast!
I am currently waiting for the fall out :)
Leigh
hmmm...sounds like Corporate crap..."floats da same" regardless which side of the pond it's on...lol...
This ol' fulltime RVer enjoys your blogs, Leigh...just thought I'd let ya know...
Michael and Wanderwolf
http://wanderwolfandi.blogspot.com
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