Boss demands employee attend an unpaid ‘mandatory fun day’ on Saturday despite knowing she has a second job, warns that missing shows lack of commitment: '[She said] it would be "noted in my file’

Author image for Cata Holmes
Cata Holmes • Writer
Sep 18, 2026 10:30 AM EDT

Nothing says "team bonding" like giving up a whole Saturday for a mandatory unpaid fun…

For a manager, I understand that team bonding and having everyone working together + having good relationships is a dream goal. What better way to succeed in your position than having employees that like each other? It's okay sometimes to create activities that are going to force them to talk and get to know each other… but that doesn't mean you need to take away one of their weekend days to do this.

In this case, an employee found herself in a very complicated spot. Since she's tight on money, she has two jobs. During the week, she works full-time in customer support, and during the weekends she helps at a local café. Both managers are aware of the other roles, so they do their best not to schedule her if she has the other commitment going on. 

Well, it seems that the manager from the corporate job decided that, to improve "team cohesion", she organized a 'mandatory fun day' on a Saturday, and every employee is forced to attend. As you can tell, our employee cannot make it, but she tried to reschedule her shift at the café, because it was going to be easier to work double another day than to skip the work event. Her boss told her that it was impossible… so now she doesn't know what to do.

Her corporate manager was not helpful either: she said this is a mandatory one-time thing, and if she doesn't show up, her absence will be written down in her file and that it absolutely shows a lack of commitment. And we all know that this can have major consequences in the future…

Her frustration is clearly noticeable, since companies sometimes force fun as a benefit, when in reality they're making life more complicated for some of their employees. For this one, is having her look bad in both jobs, but what about the people who have kids and need to sacrifice a whole day to do extra work stuff?

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  • Employee frustrated after her manager scheduled a mandatory unpaid team-building event on a Saturday.
    via Unsplash+ (via Vitaly Gariev)

    Employee frustrated after her manager scheduled a mandatory unpaid team-building event on a Saturday.

    Stock photo unrelated.

  • My manager scheduled a "mandatory fun day" on a Saturday and called it team bonding. I have a second job.

    My manager scheduled a "mandatory fun day" on a Saturday and called it team bonding. I have a second job.
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • I (27F) work full-time in customer support. Money is tight, so I also work weekends at a local café. My manager knows this-I told her when I was hired that Saturdays are not available for me.
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • Last Monday, she announced a "Mandatory Team Fun Day" at a ropes course. This Saturday. All day. She said it's "required for team cohesion" and "everyone needs to be there."
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • I reminded her that I work Saturdays. She sighed and said, "I know, but this is mandatory. You'll need to figure something out."
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • So I asked my café manager for the day off. He said no-I'm the only one available that shift. So now I have to choose: lose my weekend income or get written up at my full-time job for missing a "fun day."
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • I told my manager I couldn't make it. She said missing it would be "noted in my file" and that it "shows a lack of commitment to the team."
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • A ropes course. On a Saturday. Unpaid. And I'm the one lacking commitment?
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • I'm so tired of companies pretending forced fun is a benefit. If you have to make it mandatory, it's not fun. It's just work with a dress code.
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • Should I just call in sick to the café and go? Or hold my ground and accept the write-up?
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • Coworkers spending their Saturday at an outdoor team-building event.
    via Unsplash+ (via A.C.)

    Coworkers spending their Saturday at an outdoor team-building event.

    Actor performance of story events.

  • just_call_me_oj Go and do the shift at your second job. Food on the table beats mandatory fun days - anytime.
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • Leggy-Naggy How is it even legal to summon workers for unpaid time?
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • Longjumping-Okra858 If you're in the US, any mandatory time required by your employer as an hourly employee must be paid. They cannot mandate an unpaid activity nor can they hold it against you if you don't attend. Don't call in to your second job. I would also bring this event to the attention of your HR rep in case she does try to use it against you.
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • hTowncloudblower Nothing unpaid can be mandatory
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • Stage_Party I'm sorry, unpaid on a Saturday? Yeah I don't work for free, that's work. Second job doesn't even come into it, I'd never sacrifice my Saturday for work for free.
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • Single-Stable-375 Tell your boss to give you a raise and you won't have to work on Saturdays or make a choice.
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • Glass_Author7276 Tell your manager, sorry but you do not pay me enough money to live on, so I have to have a 2nd job to survive. Also where I live it can not be mandstory unless they paid you.
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • Employees are participating in a mandatory team-building ropes course on a Saturday.
    via Unsplash+ (via Getty Images)

    Employees are participating in a mandatory team-building ropes course on a Saturday.

    Stock photography for depiction only.

  • hatterSCFC Go to work in the café. Where in the world do people have to go to an unpaid so called fun day?!! It's only 'mandatory' because your control freak supervisor says so. Tell her to f off.
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • UnhallowedEssence Your boss has nothing else better to do on the weekend and needs her employees to make her feel needed "outside" of work. All company outings should be during work hours.
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • Hopeful-Put-8823 noted in your file, yeah, there are no files. ask susan to show you said file, and yiu will sign whatever document you need for it, also, ask to have the conversation with hr present.
    via Smart_Psychology3853
  • Desperate Pressure98 Are you in the US? Any time that you are required to be present must be paid. If it's unpaid, you don't have to be there. Go to HR. This needs to be noted, especially if you manager said something is going in your file.
    via Smart_Psychology3853

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Tags

boss unpaid job employee mandatory fun day toxic manager
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