The real Mandatory Fun Day!



  • Morale at my work has recently been destroyed by a new productivity-focused general manager, so their solution (along with patronising posters, such as "be an innovation activist!", or spending our pay-rise money on a holywood-style awards night) is to create a Mandatory Fun Day! 

     


    From: *******, *******
    Sent: Thursday, 20 March 2008 4:36 PM
    To: R&D Group
    ******
    Subject: R&D Team Building Event<o:p></o:p>

    Good Afternoon all, <o:p></o:p>

    Please see the attached invitation to the first R&D Team Building Event 2008.<o:p></o:p>

    As you will see in the invitation you are all invited to attend a bowling event with lunch included on Thursday, April 24 2008.<o:p></o:p>

    This is a fantastic opportunity to mingle with your work mates.<o:p></o:p>

    This is a mandatory function with all senior R&D managers attending. However if you are unable to bowl for any reason (injury, medical condition etc.) we would still enjoy having you as part of a team to cheer on your colleagues and enjoy some lunch. <o:p></o:p>

    So please reply by hitting the participator (if bowling) or spectator (if unable to bowl) buttons on the top left of this email. Please RSVP by Friday March 28. However if you are not attending please state the reason (eg annual leave etc)<o:p></o:p>

    We also have a ‘design a team shirt’ competition. To be able to purchase enough shirts can you please also in your reply state your shirt size (in the form of S M L XL XXL)<o:p></o:p>

    If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact *** ******* on ext ****


    From: ******, *******
    Sent: Tuesday, 1 April 2008 3:43 PM
    To: R&D Group
    ******
    Subject: R&D Bowling Event<o:p></o:p>

    Good Afternoon All, <o:p></o:p>

    For your convenience we have organised some bowling shoes to be at reception until the end of the week. Can you please make your way down sometime this week to advise **** on reception of your exact shoe size?<o:p></o:p>

    By doing this we will ensure that all sizes are catered for and that bowling will commence on time.<o:p></o:p>

    NOTE: Please be advised that your teams will announced later on this week. If you have not replied to the previous email regarding the bowling event on April 24 please do so ASAP so we have accurate information. <o:p></o:p>

    Thanking you all in advance for your co-operation.


    From: *******, *******
    Sent: Thursday, 3 April 2008 4:31 PM
    To: R&D Group ******
    Subject: R&D Team Building Bowling event
    <o:p></o:p>

    Good Afternoon all,<o:p></o:p>

    A list went out yesterday afternoon regarding teams for the bowling event. If you have not received details advising you of your team or have still not responded to the original invitation to this event, can you please do so. Whether you are spectating or participating you will be allocated to a team, however, if you do not respond by close of business tomorrow, Friday April 4, you will miss out on being part of team and will become a spectator at the event. <o:p></o:p>

    REMINDER: this is a mandatory event and unless you are physically not going to be at ******** on the day (24 April 2008) you must attend.<o:p></o:p>

    Thank you to those who have responded already, you do not need to respond to this email if you have been advised of your team.<o:p></o:p>



  • *shruggs* , so this things do actually exist.-



  • OK so mandatory fun days are a WTF, but at least they have the decency to arrange in it what I assume is normal working ours (see reference to lunch on Thursday). Even cynical as I am, I have to give them points back for that.

    Just as long as you don't get a rant the following day for the work you missed out on!



  •  There's a reason the F in WTF means f*ck and not "failure". It's because when you realise you're actually living through a post of this site, you know you're f*cked.



  • Man, they really know how to take all the fun out of having fun around there, don't they?



  • My department at my job does a similar thing once a quarter, taking a work day and making it a fun day on the company's dime. Why not get paid to have a good time? it's usually a Friday and makes for a short "work" week.

     Luckily, we get some say in what the activity. We have rented a local video game "parlor" where they had a bunch of consoles linked together so we could gang up and shoot our bosses in the back (figuratively). We have also spent a day at the lake with Jetskis and a ski boat and this past winter, we went up in the mountains and went tubing.

     Every time these events come around I feel a lot of trepidation and foreboding, but end up having a pretty good time.

    I do admit that bowling would not be high on the list for me. Especially with competitive teams not of your own choosing (or at least that is how it sounds).

    So my advice is to suck it up and try to enjoy yourself.



  • I do have to say that Mandatory Golf Day at one of my old jobs was pretty cool.  Not because I like golf, but because they had golf karts with kegs on them constantly driving between holes and giving us refills, plus one of the guys on my team brought a flask of rum. 



  • @vt_mruhlin said:

    I do have to say that Mandatory Golf Day at one of my old jobs was pretty cool.  Not because I like golf, but because they had golf karts with kegs on them constantly driving between holes and giving us refills, plus one of the guys on my team brought a flask of rum. 

     

    I suppose it's because I really like free golf and beer, but the companies I have worked at, these events have not been mandatory...and they certainly don't need to be.  Tell me when and where and I'll be there.  I'm not all that great at golf, but I'm a natural at beer drinking.



  • At the company one of my friends works for, the friday meeting is always accompanied by a keg.  They also once a year throw this great party where they rent out hotel rooms for all employees and everyone gets plastered.  Last summers involved a cookout party on the beach.  I assume the level of fun is due to the fact that everyone at the company runs tests on piss and poo (Literally, its an environmental science firm) has something to do with the lengths they go to for their employees. 



  • @galgorah said:

    At the company one of my friends works for, the friday meeting is always accompanied by a keg.  They also once a year throw this great party where they rent out hotel rooms for all employees and everyone gets plastered.  Last summers involved a cookout party on the beach.  I assume the level of fun is due to the fact that everyone at the company runs tests on piss and poo (Literally, its an environmental science firm) has something to do with the lengths they go to for their employees. 

     

    I cannot honestly say I would be into drinking beer after working up-close with piss all day...

    Much the same way I don't think I would be into drinking a mudslide after working with poop all day.



  • @MasterPlanSoftware said:

    I cannot honestly say I would be into drinking beer after working up-close with piss all day...

     

    Depends on the type of beer, no?  Something dark or amber, like Guinness or Bass, seems like it would be all right.  Generic light beer would probably be a bad choice.



  • @Digitalbath said:

    @MasterPlanSoftware said:

    I cannot honestly say I would be into drinking beer after working up-close with piss all day...

     

    Depends on the type of beer, no?  Something dark or amber, like Guinness or Bass, seems like it would be all right.  Generic light beer would probably be a bad choice.

     

    I am not exactly sure... go too dark like Guinness and I think you are back in the same boat if you ask me.



  • Why do they need to be "Mandatory"?... if the bosses are so inclined to make a fun event that their employees were to attend, Why not make it in the form of something that will attract the people they're wanting to attend instead of sending some memo around mandating it?



  •  Sadly, being intoxicated at work is against company policy and can result in instant dismissal (not that anyone actually gets in trouble for it... my manager comes back from friday lunch slurring every week!)

    So seeing the local pub is right next door to the bowling alley... I'm pretty sure most of us will just stay at the pub until 6pm, which makes it a genuine fun day!


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