47-year-old employee on business trip turns down dinner with coworkers, boss threatens consequences: 'It was outside work hours, unpaid, and not scheduled'

Going on a mandatory business trip is the adult version of going on a school field trip, except it's more likely to be a torturous experience. Unlike school field trips, where there tends to be either an educational and intellectual purpose or an adventurous experience that keeps students from getting stir crazy, business trips are much harder to justify. There are the expenses, the logistical, and the social pressures that come with traveling alongside your managers and coworkers.

In this instance, we have a 47-year-old businessman who was typically a fully remote employee, and he liked it that way. He often only saw his coworkers over Zoom, and his job didn't necessarily require in-person interaction in order for his central tasks and responsibilities to be completed. Unfortunately for him, he had a manager who felt differently about the relationship between productivity, team morale, and in-person work. While he didn't start forcing the employee to come to the office regularly, as he lived in a different state with a family, the manager did require the employee to attend a week-long business conference. 

After endless meetings, lunches, dinners, and after-work drinks, the employee was ready to go home. It was his final day, and he planned to FaceTime his wife from the hotel while they both had dinner because it had been several days since they got to catch up. However, just when he had wrapped up the work day, the employee was pressured by his manager and coworkers to stick around for one final group dinner. When the employee tried to push back, claiming that he had plans with his wife and was not expecting there to be another work event, the boss put his foot down and threatened consequences if the employee were to back out. Seriously?! As if this one dinner meant so much to the company? Talk about a waste of tension!

Like what you see? Follow our WhatsApp channel for more.

Author image for Ben Weiss Ben Weiss
Advertisement

Stay up to date by following us on Facebook!

Tags

workplace-stories employee work stories toxic-workplace job work business trip overworked-employees Horrible Bosses employment toxic-work-environment
Scroll Down For The Next Article

Also From FAIL Blog

27-year-old analyst clashes with a marketing coworker who tried to grab his laptop mid-project, leading to a loud altercation that drew security, escalating into petty sabotage in the office: 'He made me miss a deadline'

27-year-old analyst clashes with a marketing coworker who tried to grab his laptop mid-project, leading to a loud altercation that drew security, escalating into petty sabotage in the office: 'He made me miss a deadline'

Trending Now

Neighbor repeatedly demands 24-year-old student remove the dandelions from the yard of his rental, so he blows the seeds into the neighbor's yard: 'My wife and I can't even sit out and enjoy our back yard, because of all those stupid dandelions!'

Neighbor repeatedly demands 24-year-old student remove the dandelions from the yard of his rental, so he blows the seeds into the neighbor's yard: 'My wife and I can't even sit out and enjoy our back yard, because of all those stupid dandelions!'

01
16-year-old quits job to stop paying for 10, 8, 7, and 5-year-old siblings: '[My parents] told me I should understand life isn't always equal'

16-year-old quits job to stop paying for 10, 8, 7, and 5-year-old siblings: '[My parents] told me I should understand life isn't always equal'

02
UPDATE: 'I chose to leave. I gave his ring back and told him we’re done': 27-year-old calls off engagement after her fiancé insists on buying a remote cottage 3 hours away from her job, risking her career

UPDATE: 'I chose to leave. I gave his ring back and told him we’re done': 27-year-old calls off engagement after her fiancé insists on buying a remote cottage 3 hours away from her job, risking her career

03
47-year-old employee on business trip turns down dinner with coworkers, boss threatens consequences: 'It was outside work hours, unpaid, and not scheduled'

47-year-old employee on business trip turns down dinner with coworkers, boss threatens consequences: 'It was outside work hours, unpaid, and not scheduled'

04
‘This would not only violate the terms of a 55+ community HOA, but is also a very delusional’: 42-year-old woman pushes her mother-in-law to purchase a Florida retirement home in her name for her to rent, then stops speaking to her after being told no

‘This would not only violate the terms of a 55+ community HOA, but is also a very delusional’: 42-year-old woman pushes her mother-in-law to purchase a Florida retirement home in her name for her to rent, then stops speaking to her after being told no

05
Entitled HOA board member fines new resident over planting flowers, resident goes above her head and gets the fine removed: 'This board member clearly thinks her personal taste = law'

Entitled HOA board member fines new resident over planting flowers, resident goes above her head and gets the fine removed: 'This board member clearly thinks her personal taste = law'

06
Advertisement