Sharing Hotel room for work conference

TonyOR · 18-06-2023 9:17am #1

Have a work conference coming up and the company are saying all attendees are required to share a hotel room.

Am I entitled to reuse to go if not given my own room?

Have never had to do this with any other company and think it's a very unreasonable request.

All advise welcome.

Xander10 · 18-06-2023 9:20am

I'd offer to pay half room cost for single occupancy.

road_high · 18-06-2023 9:21am

That’s fcukin miserable- they want you to attend they should pay for single rooms. Which is the norm

TonyOR · 18-06-2023 9:24am

I dont see why I should have to pay half when they want me there.

JPCN1 · 18-06-2023 9:38am

No way would I accept a room share for a work gig. As previous poster said that’s fckn miserable…

ahnowbrowncow · 18-06-2023 10:18am

What if your colleague sleeps naked? Or if you're greeted by a raging erection when they stroll to the bathroom? Or if their towel drops and exposes them?

You wouldn't expect to put up with that in the workplace, well depending on what you work at Tony, so I don't know how or why they think it's acceptable to put their staff in that position.

Mrs OBumble · 18-06-2023 1:53pm

The only time I had to do that was when I worked for the government, never seen a private sector employer try shared rooms.

Geuze · 18-06-2023 1:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730125#Comment_120730125

Really?

In the public service there is an 24hr overnight allowance, and it is typically left up to the employee where they stay.

I have gone to events, and claimed the overnight 24hr allowance a few times, in the PS, and it has never been prescribed to me where I stay.

The same goes for my friends in local authority sector or IoT sector.

Stark · 18-06-2023 4:34pm

Only company I knew who had that policy was IBM, tight bastards.

flanna01 · 18-06-2023 4:41pm

Absolute ridiculous expectation from the company...

Tell them to sling their hook..

Your privacy is not for sale, or for part of a cost cutting exercise.

Your stay in the hotel is all wrote off against tax anyway. (Not that it makes one bit of blind difference)

They want you there - they pay for your upkeep - Simples!

*Do you think the Managing Director will be sharing a room with Jim the cleaner....???*

Don't be a doormat - Have some dignity about yourself.

Mrs OBumble · 18-06-2023 4:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730149#Comment_120730149

It wasn't in Ireland.

When I very first worked in government overseas 30+ years ago, there were still daily allowances like you describe. But they were abolished in favour of actual and reasonable invoiced costs, and there was an expectation that we would room-share with same gender colleagues. It worked well to cut unnecessary travel.

In the OPs case, I suspect the legal situation depends on their contract. And that a legal approach isn't the way to fix this.

TBi · 18-06-2023 4:46pm

I would refuse to go. It's a HR nightmare so they should really rethink this policy.

GerardKeating · 18-06-2023 5:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730734#Comment_120730734

HR should be able to confirm if the room mate was Gender Suitable...

Caranica · 18-06-2023 6:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730871#Comment_120730871

"Gender suitability" isn't a thing in this day and age.

I've had a look through our dignity at work policy and it states that while every effort should be taken to minimise costs nobody should be expected to share a room but it is permissable with the consent of both parties.

3DataModem · 18-06-2023 11:03pm

If the conference is optional, then they can reasonably dictate terms.

If the conference is mandatory, then it's not quite so clear cut.

homah_7ft · 18-06-2023 11:19pm

It's a hard no from me. They can't make you so take things from there.

GerardKeating · 18-06-2023 11:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120731073#Comment_120731073

I disagree (or maybe I am just old) but I can imagine the mileage on the Joe Duffy show, if a young female had to share a room with an older man.

Caranica · 19-06-2023 8:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120732353#Comment_120732353

That wasn't what I meant at all. I was referring to the complications of gender identity.

TonyOR · 19-06-2023 9:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120732195#Comment_120732195

Its mandatory.

Explosive_Cornflake · 19-06-2023 9:32am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120732981#Comment_120732981

There's not a chance I would go under those terms.

magicbastarder · 19-06-2023 9:37am

that's a nope from me too.

is it a big company? do you have a HR department, and are they aware of this?

in the company i work for, a senior manager was ousted after deciding that when visiting certain countries, staff should stay in hostels. HR were not impressed at their initiative, trying to rewrite company policy.

artanevilla · 19-06-2023 9:42am

Not a hope.

CreadanLady · 19-06-2023 9:58am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120732353#Comment_120732353

Perfect recipie for Sex offence/pedo case in the company. Almost guaranteed.

AndrewJRenko · 19-06-2023 11:03am

I had to do this in the past, Celtic Tiger years, working for one of the most successful FDI companies at the time (not IBM), once for one night in the UK, and once for a week in the US. I wasn't really in a position to argue, but it was fairly awful. I remember waking up at 2am to hear my roomie violently puking in the bathroom after his night out. I was dreading going into the bathroom next morning, though in fairness, he didn't leave any residue.

FishOnABike · 19-06-2023 11:16am

I've never had to share a room travelling for work and not a hope in hell that I would.

I'm already losing out on personal time with travel and being away from home, not a chance the company gets to effectively dictate what I can do or not do 24 hours a day even if they were to pay me overtime rates, 24 hours a day, for the full duration of a trip.

Involuntarily sharing a room with some random person is not part of my job description.

suvigirl · 19-06-2023 11:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730149#Comment_120730149

The 24 hour allowance wouldn't get you much nowadays!

Tork · 19-06-2023 11:20am

What do your colleagues think about this arrangement?

19-06-2023 11:22am

The only way I would consider this, would be if the accommodation on offer was a suite, with two separate bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms.

And at that, I would only consider it, and most likely would probably still refuse. It would depend on the hotel and who I was expected to share with.

If I was expected to share a twin room? Under no circumstances. it would be an outright refusal.

Podge_irl · 19-06-2023 11:28am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730732#Comment_120730732

It worked well to cut unnecessary travel.

I suspect it worked well to cut necessary travel too as there is no way I'd be going anywhere under those terms.

DownByTheGarden · 19-06-2023 11:42am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120732353#Comment_120732353

About 10 or maybe 15 years ago my wife was on an aer lingus flight from Spain. There were strikes and thern the crew were over their hours and they had to be put up in a hotel. She arrived at her room to find a woman already there wondering why a man was in the shower.

Turned out 3 random people had been given one room to share. 2 females and 1 male. And they werent the only ones. When they went down to reception there were others. They were told there werent enough rooms for everyone so they had to share. Half of them stayed in reception overnight istead. Dont know if this still happens today.

Tork · 19-06-2023 11:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120733574#Comment_120733574

If they're tight enough to be asking staff to share rooms, they're unlikely to be splashing out on suites.

OP I'd ask some colleagues what they think of the arrangement. If a lot of people are unhappy, could it be raised with your manager?

19-06-2023 12:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120733742#Comment_120733742

Yeah, I agree. Even in a suite, I think I'd still be uncomfortable with it. But others might not.

I shared a twin room at a union conference once, many, many years ago and it was not something I'd do again.

MarkR · 19-06-2023 12:19pm

I snore. I don't think anyone should have to suffer that. But seriously, that's a hard pass from me. Surely there is a level of privacy you can expect, which should not include sharing a room with work colleagues.

suvigirl · 19-06-2023 12:38pm

I would point out how vunerable one of their employees is, when they are asleep in a room with someone they barely know and how the company has a duty of care towards their employees.

HeidiHeidi · 19-06-2023 12:43pm

That would be a flat refusal from me.

Shelflife · 19-06-2023 12:55pm

Not a hope I would share a room with a work colleague, if they insisted then I wouldnt go or make my own arrangements.

Huge can of worms asking people to share.

phill106 · 19-06-2023 1:04pm

Did it once many years ago. Wouldnt again. I snore ...loudly.

Ear plugs and pillow over head did not save him.

Lucky i didnt get a pillow over my head.

Hooked · 19-06-2023 1:12pm

WTF!

I'd barely share a room with some of my FAMILY/MATES!

A WORK colleague. Not a chance...

I assume all same-sex? They'd hardly be assking men and women to share a room, would they? Bizzare!!!

SuperS54 · 19-06-2023 1:16pm

Not a hope would I share a room with a colleague unless there was some sort of disaster that made it completely unavoidable and even then. I'm reluctant to share a room with a friend these days, no matter a stranger from work.

Do you at least get to chose who you're supposed to share with? If everyone else is OK with the arrangements I imagine I'd come down with the flu or food poisoning at the last minute and be unable to go.

AndrewJRenko · 19-06-2023 2:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120734181#Comment_120734181

Segregating by sex doesn’t prevent shenanigans, whether by choice or otherwise.

GerardKeating · 19-06-2023 2:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120732814#Comment_120732814

Ah ok, maybe we actually thinking the same thing then. It would be a legal quagmire for HR to even ask employees about Gender Identity..

CreadanLady · 19-06-2023 2:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120734181#Comment_120734181

Not unless they want a few months gone to sex assualt/rape investigation

Hungry Burger · 19-06-2023 2:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120733689#Comment_120733689

Similar happened to me, there were electrical storms and we were brought somewhere on a bus over an hour away from the airport to be put up in a hotel and wait for the next flight the following morning.

I was with a work colleague also but he was a good pal of mine and luckily enough we got put in the room together so didn’t kick up a fuss just went to the hotel bar for the night but yeah if I was put in with some randomer I wouldn’t be happy at all.

salmocab · 19-06-2023 3:29pm

When I was an apprentice we used to do country work a lot and always shared, when I got a bit older I insisted on single room. These days there’s not a hope I’d even expense a trip I’d insist on them paying up front and I might expense a meal if needs be.

Quitelife · 19-06-2023 3:53pm

You dont work For Keelings Fruit by any chance, they squeeze about 8 of their East European employees into a caravan every night

Claw Hammer · 19-06-2023 5:16pm

When abraham Lincoln was working as a lawyer he often had to share a bed with a complete stranger, let alone a room. Its no big deal. Just get on with it!

L1011 · 19-06-2023 5:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120730125#Comment_120730125

I've had it in the private sector.

Way to avoid it for more minor things was book and expense the rooms, but for big company events that wasn't an option. Twin rooms all the way unless you were lucky the be the last one to turn up and there was an uneven number of your gender.

Other employers have not had that rule, but it's not unheard of. Another preferred single as there had been a few incidences of heavy after hours hotel room drinking which seemed to be less when everyone had their own room!

Limerick_dude · 19-06-2023 5:24pm

I travel a lot for work and there isn't a hope in hell I would share with a colleague and to be fair I would be pretty certain that this kind of scenario would never be put forward by the company.