'[Boss] expected her employees to share beds': Principal demands teachers share beds for mandatory unpaid work trip, one teacher refuses, gets reprimanded

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Dec 15, 2023 2:00 PM EST

There are so many potential red flags when it comes to work trips. Let's start with expenses. If it's not all-expense paid, there better be a good reason. That doesn't mean the flight and hotels. I'm talking breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, and snacks. That's right, we workers are not playing around anymore.

Then there's the issue of the quality of the hotel. Do not settle for your boss getting some janky old room at the nearest motel. The situation needs to be just as convenient and nice for you as it is for your boss. We're not necessarily asking for a life of luxury here, but we are asking for a non-sketchy hotel where the sheets seem like they were actually washed. You would think this would be self-explanatory, but you would be surprised.

Finally, and this really should be self-explanatory, there's the issue of necessary space from your coworkers while you are traveling. Sure, you're likely spending more time together than you usually do, but we have to draw the line somewhere. Unfortunately, this teacher learned that the hard way.

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  • 01
    "When they arrived the owner had them SHARING ROOMS".
    via Linus Mimietz

  • This thread was posted to Reddit by u/Kingofcryo, who was required to attend a mandatory work trip that was not only unpaid, but also she was expected to share a room with her coworker. On top of that, the room only had one bed. Talk about a lawsuit waiting to happen. Keep scrolling below to see how she reacted and how her owner made it seem like the employee was being the difficult one. For more stories like this, check out this post about a coworker who tried to get an employee unjustly fired.

  • 02
    Wife was told she had to go on a work retreat. Mandatory but unpaid. She refused. Wait for the punchline! The owner of the school she worked at got very indignant when my wife asked if she would be paid for this mandatory weekend trip.
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 03
    The boss told her she was expected to attend or it would be "very uncomfortable to work here if you don't attend". The rest of the team crumbled under the pressure and 26 of the 28 employees decided to voluntarily agree to attend.
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 04
    When they arrived the owner had them SHARING ROOMS! And here comes the best part - each room only had ONE BED!
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 05
    This expected her employees to share beds. Everyone was bitter about it and spent the whole time complaining to each other but they were all terrified to bring it up with the boss. Soon thereafter she was shunned by her boss and the rest of the employees. They said she wasn't a team player. right she wasn't!
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 06
    Edit - This happened at a Montessori school. The teachers mostly have a very difficult to obtain certification and there are only a few Montessori schools in the area. The assistant's other teachers are very poorly paid and were unwilling to challenge the boss. The owner of the school was known for being very egotistical and demanding. Most of these women have been broken down by her after years of working under her.
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 07
    Just_aRainyDay. 11 hr. ago Does your wife work for a cult? I can't imagine why 26 other people would willing share a bed with a roommate otherwise. So crazy! 4.9k Reply Share
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 08
    Kingofcryo OP. 11 hr. ago Nobody had any idea they were expected to share beds until they arrived. The retreat was about 90 minutes away from home and the weaklings all just went along with this 2.3k Reply Share
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 09
    Arkayb33 9 hr. ago Only 90 minutes? Othat, I would gone back home. Ain't no way in I'm sharing a room, let alone A BED, with any of my coworkers. 2.4k Reply Share
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 10
    AWholeNewFattitude. 10 hr. ago "You're not a team player!" "Yeah and I also didn't have to sleep with Dave..." ↑ 1.5k Reply Share
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 11
    Kingofcryo OP. 10 hr. ago I should have mentioned the retreat was all female teachers. The only man in the group was the other person who refused to go. He wasn't threatened about it. Even a sociopath like the owner of the school knew that making a man and woman share a bed would be over the line. 1.1k Reply Share
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 12
    Party-Objective 9466 10 hr. ago Labor dept might want to hear about this 4 951 Reply Share
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 13
    Kingofcryo OP. 10 hr. ago I agree 100% My wife isn't as confrontational as I am. She just quit the job and wasn't willing to stir the pot. When she sees her old coworkers they always mention they should have left when she did. 687 Reply Share
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 14
    BeginningZucchini8. 10 hr. ago I work for a company that expects us to share rooms every work trip. I always refuse and charge my individual room to the company card. I'm not sharing a bedroom with coworkers. Ever. 323 Reply Share
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 15
    Prior_Initial_2675. 10 hr. ago She wasn't a brainless follower like the rest, good for her. 4 124 Reply Share
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 16
    . OR_steelheader - 10 hr. ago Since when can you mandate someone to work and not pay them? I'm no lawyer, but that sounds sketchy. 102 Reply Share
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 17
    JCButtBuddy 9 hr. ago I bet the owner had their own bed.
    via u/Kingofcryo
  • 18
    lilymom2 10 hr. ago Wildly inappropriate and illegal to boot.
    via u/Kingofcryo

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boss school work stories toxic-workplace students teacher toxic-boss workplace Horrible Bosses reddit thread Reddit toxic-work-environment
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